MAXIMI  NA 


BY  TH6  AUTHOR  OF 


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DON-ARMANDO* 


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MAXIMINA 


BY 


DON    ARMANDO    PALACIO    VALDES 


AUTHOR  OF 


"THE  MARQUIS  OP  PE^ALTA" 
(Marta  y  Maria). 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE  SPANISH  BY 
NATHAN  HASKELL  DOLE. 


NEW  YORK : . 

THOMAS  Y.   CROWELL  &  CO., 
13  ASTOR  PLACE. 


COPYRIGHT,  1888, 
BY  THOMAS  Y.  CROWELL  &  CO. 


TYPOGRAPHY  BY  J.  S.  GUSHING  &  Co.,  BOSTON. 


STACK 
ANNEX 


MAXIMINA. 


I. 

MIGUEL  reached  Pasajes  late  Friday  afternoon.  On 
alighting  from  the  train  he  found  Ursula's  boat  moored 
to  the  shore. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Don  Miguel,"  said  the  boat-woman, 
showing  genuine  joy  in  her  face,  where  the  fires  of  alcohol 
were  flaming  more  than  ever  brilliantly;  "  I  was  begin- 
ning to  think  that  I  should  not  see  you  again." 

"Indeed!" 

' '  How  should  I  know  ?  .  .  .  Men  are  so  queer  about 
getting  married !  .  .  .  But,  senorito,  you  can't  imagine 
how  glad  everybody  in  the  village  was  to  hear  about 
it !  ...  Only  a  few  jealous  women  would  not  believe 
it.  ...  How  I  will  make  'em  fume  to-night !  I'm  going 
all  around  telling  everybody  that  I  myself  brought  you 
over  to  l)ou  Valentin's." 

"  Don't  think  of  making  any  one  fume,"  replied  the 
young  man,  laughing;  4ibut  bend  to  your  oars  a  little 
more." 

"  Are  you  in  a  hurry  to  see  Maximina?" 

"  Of  course  I  am." 

It  was  the  twilight  hour :  the  shadows  clustering  in 
the  recesses  of  the  bay  had  already  crept  far  up  on  the 
mountains.  On  the  few  vessels  at  anchor  the  hands 
were  busy  loading  and  unloading  their  cargoes,  and  their 
shouts  and  the  creaking  of  windlasses  were  the  only 
sounds  that  disturbed  the  peacefulness  of  the  place. 


2  MAXIMINA. 

Directly  in  front  a  few  lights  began  to  appear  in  the 
houses.  Miguel  did  not  take  his  eyes  from  one  that 
gleamed  faintly  in  the  dwelling  of  the  ex-captain  of  the 
Rdpido.  He  felt  a  pleasant  and  delicious  desire  which 
from  time  to  time  made  his  lips  tremble  and  his  heart 
beat  more  rapidly.  But  no  one  as  yet  was  in  sight  on  the 
wooden  balcony  where  so  many  times  he  had  reclined, 
watching  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the  ships.  His  eager 
face  betrayed  the  thoughts  that  possessed  him.  Ursula 
smiled  as  her  sharp  eyes  watched  him  covertly. 

He  leaped  on  shore,  dismissed  the  boat-woman,  mounted 
the  uneven  stone  stairway,  and  made  his  way  through  the 
single,  crooked  street  of  the  village.  As  he  reached  the 
little  square,  he  saw  on  the  balcony  of  his  sweetheart's 
house  a  figure  which  quickly  disappeared.  The  young 
man  smiled  with  joy,  and  with  a  rapid  step  made  his  way 
through  the  doorway.  Without  looking  in  at  the  tobac- 
conist's shop  he  rapped  on  the  door  with  his  knuckles. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  cried  a  sweet,  mellow  voice  within,  which 
echoed  in  his  heart  like  heavenly  music. 

"  It  is  Miguel." 

The  latch  was  raised ;  he  pushed  the  door  open  and 
saw  Maximiua  herself,  with  a  caudle  in  her  hand,  on  the 
first  lauding  of  the  stairway. 

She  wore  a  dress  of  black  and  white  plaid,  and  her 
hair  was  in  a  braid  as  usual.  She  was  a  little  paler  than 
ordinary,  and  around  her  soft  blue  eyes  delicate  circles 
were  traced,  showing  the  effect  of  her  recent  anxieties. 
She  smiled  and  blushed  at  sight  of  Miguel,  who  in  two 
bounds  cleared  the  distance  between  them,  and  clasping 
her  in  his  arms,  imprinted  a  reasonable  score  of  kisses  on 
her  face  in  spite  of  the  girl's  protestations  and  endeavors 
to  tear  herself  away. 

"  I  am  looking  at  you  !  "  said  a  voice  from  overhead. 


MAXIMINA.  3 

It  was  Doiia  Rosalia.  In  spite  of  the  jocose  tone  in 
which  she  spoke,  Maximina  was  so  startled  that  she  let 
the  candle  fall,  and  they  were  left  in  perfect  darkness, 
until  Dona  Rosalia,  choking  with  laughter,  came  with  a 
lamp  ;  but  her  niece  had  disappeared. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  girl  like  her?  She  is  going  to  be 
married  to-morrow,  and  yet  she  is  as  bashful  as  though 
she  had  known  you  only  since  yesterday.  .  .  .  Most 
likely  she  has  locked  herself  up  in  her  room.  ...  It  will 
make  you  some  trouble  to  get  her  out  now !  " 

Miguel  went  up  to  her  room  and  called  gently  at  tjie 
door. 

There  was  no  answer. 

"Maximina,"  he  said,  with  difficulty  restraining  his 
laughter. 

"  I  don't  want  to  !  I  don't  want  to  !  "  replied  the  girl, 
with  amusing  desperation. 

"  But  what  is  it  that  you  do  not  want  to  do?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  come  out !  " 

"Ah!  you  don't  want  to  come  out?  .  .  .  Then  see 
here ;  the  cur6  is  not  going  to  marry  us  with  so  much 
wood  separating  us  !  ..."  A  few  minutes  of  silence  fol- 
lowed. Miguel  put  his  mouth  down  to  the  key-hole,  and 
said,  lowering  his  voice  :  — 

"  Why  won't  you  open  the  door,  tonta1?  .  .  .  Does  it 
make  you  feel  bashful?" 

"  Yes,"  whispered  the  girl,  on  the  other  side. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed  !     Your  aunt  isn't  here." 

After  some  time,  and  by  dint  of  man}T  persuasive  words, 
she  made  up  her  mind  to  open  the  door.  Even  then  she 
was  blushing  to  her  ears.  Miguel  captured  her  hands, 
and  said,  with  a  gentle  reproach  in  his  voice :  — 

"Come  now,  little  rogue,  why  didn't  you  wait  for  me 
1  Foolish  maiden. 


4  MAXIMINA. 

on  the  balcony?  .  .  .  Why,  I  looked  for  you  there  until  I 
almost  put  my  eyes  out !  But  not  a  sign  of  Maximina  ! " 

"  Yes,  yes  !  " 

"  What  does  '  yes,  yes '  mean  ?    Did  you  wait  for  me  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  on  the  balcony  ever  since  dinner !  I  saw 
you  get  into  the  boat ;  I  saw  you  talking  and  laughing 
with  Ursula ;  and  I  saw  you  jump  on  shore.,  and  then 
from  the  other  balcony  I  saw  you  when  you  reached  the 
square.  ..." 

"That  last  I  know  you  did.  .  .  .  But  we  shall  see; 
when  are  you  going  to  dismount  from  your  high  horse? 
Are  you  going  to  treat  me  this  way  after  we  are  married  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  " 

They  went  down  into  the  parlor,  where  they  found  Don 
Valentin,  Adolf o,  and  the  girls,  who  warmly  welcomed  the 
young  man.  The  welcome  extended  him  by  the  ex-cap- 
tain was  not  unlike  that  of  an  uncommunicative  whale ; 
but  there  was  something  about  him  that  made  it  evident 
that  he  was  satisfied. 

Dona  Rosalia  at  that  instant  came  in ;  and  when  she 
saw  Maximina,  she  could  not  refrain  from  laughing,  where- 
upon the  maiden  dashed  out  of  the  room  with  all  haste, 
and  flew  up  the  stairs  like  a  hurricane :  but  Miguel  suc- 
ceeded in  overtaking  her  before  she  reached  her  chamber. 
While  he  was  exhausting  all  his  powers  of  persuasion  to 
induce  her  to  return  with  him  to  the  sitting-room,  Dona 
Rosalia,  vexed  at  her  running  away,  called  from  below  :  — 

"  Leave  her,  Don  Miguel ;  leave  that  foolish  little  goose  ! 
I  don't  see  how  any  one  can  fall  in  love  with  her !  ough ! 
what  a  simpleton  !  " 

Of  course  Maximina,  at  this  new  indignity,  began  to  cry  ; 
but  Miguel  was  there  to  comfort  her,  and  no  one  in  the 
world  could  do  so  with  greater  success. 

After  a  little,  the  lovers  came  down  again,  and  quite  a 


MAXIMINA.  5 

little  tertulia  or  reception,  composed  of  neighbors  who 
dropped  in  to  congratulate  them,  was  held  in  the  parlor. 
Dona  Rosalia  did  not  appear  for  some  time.  She  was 
unquestionably  annoyed  with  her  niece  because  of  her 
terrible  crime  of  being  bashful. 

The  nucleus  of  the  tertulia  was  formed  by  a  dozen 
young  girls  eager  to  see  Miguel's  gifts ;  and  he,  by  re- 
fusing to  accede  to  this  desire,  which  he  could  scarcely 
understand,  gave  them  an  hour  of  real  torture.  At  last 
Dona  Rosalia  called  him  aside  and  assured  him  that  it 
would  be  the  proper  thing  for  him  to  exhibit  them. 

The  young  man  was  persuaded  to  do  this,  and  he 
dragged  into  the  middle  of  the  room  his  trunk  and  a  grip- 
sack in  which  he  had  brought  some  jewels.  He  pulled 
out  the  two  solitary  dresses  which  he  had  brought  for  his 
bride  :  the  one  she  was  to  wear  during  the  ceremony  ;  the 
other  was  her  travelling-dress.  Both  aroused  great  ad- 
miration by  their  softness  and  elegance ;  the  same  with 
the  set  of  diamonds  and  pearls.  The  village  maidens 
could  not  handle  and  praise  these  trinkets  enough,  and 
they  showed  by  the  extravagance  of  their  exclamations 
that  they  regarded  the  possession  of  such  things  as  the 
greatest  joy  in  the  world. 

Maximina,  standing  behind,  with  her  eyes  wide  open, 
looked  on  with  more  astonishment  than  curiosity  ;  her 
young  friends  from  time  to  time  cast  on  her  vivacious 
and  questioning  glances,  to  which  she  answered  with  a 
slight  and  unnatural  smile,  without  losing  the  frightened 
expression  from  her  face ;  this  was  even  increased  when 
she  saw  lifted  out  of  the  trunk  her  wedding-dress  made  of 
white  silk  trimmed  with  orange  flowers.  A  deep  color 
spread  over  her  face,  and  neither  the  flush  nor  her  trepi- 
dation departed  from  her  during  the  evening. 

They  spent  the  time  in  gayly  singing  'and  dancing  to 


6  MAXIMINA. 

the  music  of  the  guitar.  Don  Valentin  —  oh,  unheard 
of  gallantry  !  —  danced  a  zorcio  with  a  handsome  maiden, 
who,  by  her  persuasive  eloquence  succeeded  in  warming 
up  his  heels  ;  but  he  had  to  give  it  up  suddenly  in  disgust, 
owing  to  an  excruciating  attack  of  the  gout  which  paral- 
yzed his  right  foot.  His  sweet  spouse  consoled  him  by 
saying :  — 

"  Fine  employment  that  is  for  you  !  .  .  .  Simply  to 
show  off ! " 

Miguel  danced  the  giraldilla,  constantly  taking  Maxi- 
mina  for  his  partner.  When  they  became  tired,  they 
would  go  and  sit  down  together  in  some  corner  of  the 
room  and  exchange  few  words,  but  numberless  glances. 
The  brigadier's  son,  seeing  that  his  ladylove  was  suffocat- 
ing, took  a  fan  and  began  to  fan  her ;  but  Maximina, 
noticing  that  they  were  watched  and  that  some  smiled, 
stopped  him,  gently  saying  :  — 

"  I  don't  need  to  be  fanned,  thank  you  very  much. 
You  are  much  more  heated  than  I.  .  .  ." 

' '  Wiry  do  you  address  me  so  formally  ? l  Is  that  the  way 
we  ought  to  do  ?  " 

"  Well,  then,  thou  art  more  heated  than  I.  ...  Fan 
thyself." 

At  ten  o'clock  all  departed,  taking  leave  of  the  lovers, 
with  smiles  more  or  less  malicious. 

"Goodnight,  Maximina  ;  sleep  well." — "Your  last  night 
of  maidenhood,  dear  !  Beware  !  Your  last  night !  "  said 
one  ancient  matron,  the  mother  of  at  least  eleven  sons. 

Maximina  smiled,  abashed. 

u  Adids!  adids!  .  .  .  How  it  will  pain  us  to  have  you 
leave  us  !  " 

And  a  few  of  the  young  maidens  kissed  her  again  and 
again,  with  great  manifestations  of  love. 

1  She  says  Usted  estd  instead  of  tu  estds. 


MAXIMINA.  7 

"  Girl,  don't  you  forget  that  this  is  your  last  night  of 
maidenhood  !  Ponder  on  it !  It  is  a  solemn  thing  !  " 
said  the  matron  once  more. 

Again  Maximina  smiled. 

'I'll en  the  old  woman  frowned,  and  whispered  to  the  one 
who  was  standing  next  her  :  — 

"  That  child  imagines  that  she  is  going  on  a  pilgrimage  ! 
Ay  Di6s!  It  is  evident  that  she  has  not  a  grain  of  feeling. 
Marriage  is  a  very  serious  affair  .  .  .  very  serious."  And 
until  she  reached  her  own  house  she  did  not  cease  dis- 
coursing long  and  learnedly  on  the  seriousness  of.  this  tie. 

Our  lovers  were  left  with  Dona  Rosalia  and  Don  Valen- 
tin ;  the  children  had  already  gone  to  bed,  —  the  youngest, 
Adolfo,  whom  his  mother  had  been  obliged  to  take  to  his 
room  by  main  force  and  the  promise  to  wake  him  on  the 
next  day  in  time  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony.  Don 
Valentin  likewise  bade  them  good  night  and  went  to  his 
room.  Miguel  and  Maximina  sat  down  on  two  low  chairs, 
and  began  to  whisper,  while  Dona  Rosalia,  still  in  bad 
humor,  decided  to  knit  until  it  should  seem  good  to  her  to 
put  an  end  to  the  session,  which  should  be  within  a  very 
few  minutes. 

Miguel  noticed  that  Maximina  was  absent-minded  and 
somewhat  nervous. 

"  "What  is  the  matter?  ...  I  can  see  by  thy  face  that 
something  troubles  thee.  .  .  .  Art  thou  not  content  to 
be  my  wife  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  There  is  nothing  the  matter." 

"Then,  why  this  absent-mindedness?" 

She  hung  her  head  and  did  not  answer.  Miguel  insisted 
upon  knowing :  — 

"  Come,  tell  me,  what  are  you  thinking  about?" 

"  I  want  to  ask  a  favor  of  you, .  .  ."  she  whispered  tim- 
idly. 


8  MAXIMINA. 

"  Only  one?  I  would  like  you  to  ask  me  five  hundred, 
and  that  I  might  grant  them  !  " 

"  If  I  might  ...  if  you  would  let  me  be  married  in  one 
of  my  own  dresses.  .  .  ." 

The  young  man  remained  for  a  moment  lost  in  amaze- 
ment :  then  he  asked  sadly  :  — 

"  Don't  you  wish  to  be  married  in  the  dress  that  I 
brought  you?  " 

"  It  would  be  very  mortifying  to  me  !  " 

"Besides,  it  is  the  fashion  to  be  married  in  a  white 
dress  ;  especially  for  maidens  like  you !  " 

"  Here  it  is  not  the  fashion.  ...  I  should  be  mortified 
to  death  ! " 

Miguel  tried  to  persuade  her,  but  in  vain.  After  ex- 
hausting his  arguments,  which  were  not  very  varied,  he 
was  anxious  to  come  to  a  settlement  of  the  difficulty. 
But  Dona  Rosalia  had  noticed  something,  and  lifting  her 
head,  she  asked  : — 

"What  does  this  mean?  You  were  not  quarrelling,  I 
hope?" 

"Nothing,  Dona  Rosalia ;  Maximina  does  not  wish  to  be 
married  in  the  white  dress, — because  it  would  mortify  her." 

These  words  instantly  put  the  tobacconist's*  wife  into  a 
storm  of  fury  :  — 

"  And  you  take  any  notice  of  this  blockhead's  notions? 
How  does  she  know  what  she  wants,  or  what  she  does,  not 
want  ?  Did  you  ever  see  the  like  ?  .  .  .  Such  a  splendid 
dress  as  you  have  brought  her  too !  .  .  .  It  must  have 
cost  a  fortune !  .  .  .  And  what  does  she  want  done  with 
this  dress?  ..." 

The  brigadier's  son,  understanding  what  was  passing 
through  his  sweetheart's  mind,  slyly  took  her  hand,  and 
gave  it  a  hearty  pressure.  Maximina,  who  was  confused 
and  pained,  recovered  her  courage. 


MAXIMINA.  9 

"There  is  no  reason  to  be  disturbed,  Doila  Rosalia, 
for  the  matter  is  not  worth  it.  If  Maximina  does  not 
wish  to  be  married  in  white,  it  is  simply  because  it  is  not 
the  fashion  here.  The  fault  was  on  my  side  in  having 
brought  the  dress  without  consulting  her  first.  As  to 
what  is  to  be  done  with  it,  Maximina  has  given  me  an 
idea ;  she  desires  that  it  be  presented  to  the  Virgin  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Peter." 

The  girl,  who  had  said  nothing  of  the  sort,  pressed  his 
hand  to  show  her  gratitude.  Dona  Rosalia  was  ambitious 
of  having  her  niece's  dress  make  a  sensation  in  the  vil- 
lage ;  consequently  she  still  insisted  that  such  a  thing 
should  not  be  done.  Nevertheless,  Miguel  stood  firm, 
taking  his  maiden's  part,  and  arguing  that  she  was  right. 
Finally  Doiia  Rosalia,  unable  to  hide  her  indignation, 
swept  out  of  the  room,  leaving  them  alone. 

MigQel  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said  to  the  girl, 
who  was  greatly  disturbed :  — 

"  Don't  be  worried,  dearie.  You  are  in  all  good  rights 
my  wife,  and  you  are  under  no  obligation  to  obey  any  one 
else." 

Maximina  gave  him  a  tender  look  of  gratitude.  And 
feeling  that  it  was  not  proper  for  them  to  be  abso- 
lutely alone,  she  arose,  intimating  that  she  wished  to  go 
to  bed. 

It  was  necessary  for  them  to  be  up  bright  and  early  the 
next  morning.  The  hour  for  the  ceremony  was  fixed  at 
half-past  five.  Miguel  also  arose,  although  unwillingly, 
and  his  betrothed  went  to  get  him  a  candle  from  the 
kitchen.  As  she  was  on  the  point  of  handing  it  to  him, 
he  said  in  a  jesting  tone  :  — 

"  Art  thou  quite  sure  that  we  are  to  be  married  to-mor- 
row?" 

Maximina  looked  at  him  with  wide-open  eyes. 


10  MAXIMINA. 

"  You  had  better  beware!  for  there  is  even  now  time 
for  me  to  change  my  mind.  Who  knows  but  what  I  may 
make  my  escape  this  night,  and  when  morning  comes 
half  the  people  may  be  absent  from  the  wedding?" 

Maximina  forced  herself  to  smile.  Miguel,  who  no- 
ticed how  seriously  she  took  his  words,  came  to  her  relief, 
saying :  — 

"  What  an  innocent  little  puss  you  are  !  Could  it  be 
possible  that  I  would  throw  away  nvy  happiness  !  When 
a  man  is  luck}7  enough  to  find  it  in  this  world,  he  must 
cling  fast  hold  of  it.  Within  a  few  hours  nothing  can 
separate  us.  Adi6s  —  my  wife ! " 

The  young  man  uttered  these  words  as  he  started  up 
stairs.  From  the  top  of  the  stairway  he  smiled  down  on 
the  girl,  who  had  stopped  motionless  at  the  parlor  door, 
still  evidently  a  little  disturbed  by  the  jest  that  he  had 
made. 

"  Till  to-morrow  !  isn't  it  so? " 

Maximina  nodded  her  head. 

That  night  was  not  one  of  sleeplessness  for  Miguel,  as 
the  night  before  a  man's  marriage,  they  say,  is  apt  to  be. 
Not  a  single  sad  foreboding  passed  through  his  mind ;  no 
fear,  no  impetuous  eagerness  ;  his  determination  was  so 
firm  and  rational,  it  was  so  vigorously  supported  by  his 
intellect  and  his  heart,  that  there  was  no  room  for  that 
unhealthy  agitation  and  dread  which  attack  us  at  the 
moment  of  adopting  some  weighty  resolution.  So  far  as 
Maximina  was  concerned,  he  was  sure  of  being  happy. 
So  far  as  he  himself  was  concerned,  he  would  do  his  best 
to  be  happy.  Once  and  forever  dispossessed  of  the  vain- 
glorious desire  of  "  making  a  brilliant  marriage,''  he  was 
convinced  that  no  woman  was  better  suited  to  him  than 
this  one.  Never  once  did  the  fever  of  a  hot  and  violent 
passion  cause  him  any  discomfort.  The  love  that  he 


MAXIMINA.  11 

felt  was  intense  but  calm ;  neither  wholly  spiritual,  nor 
wholl}'  material,  but  a  union  of  both.  As  soon  as  he 
reached  his  room,  he  spent  a  few  moments  thinking  about 
his  betrothed,  and  then  finding  himself  overpowered  by 
drowsiness,  he  blew  out  his  light  and  fell  into  deep 
sleep. 

Before  it  was  five  o'clock,  the  chamber-maid's  voice 
woke  him.  It  was  still  pitch  dark,  and  would  be  so  for 
some  time.  He  lighted  the  candle,  and  dressed  himself 
carefully.  He  was  quick  about  it,  though  his  hands  trem- 
bled a  little.  As  the  solemn  moment  approached,  he  could 
not  entirely  conquer  his  nervous  and  impressionable  nature. 

When  he  went  down  into  the  parlor,  quite  an  assembty 
was  alread}7  gathered  ;  not  only  those  who  had  been  there 
the  evening  before,  but  others  besides.  All  were  dressed 
in  their  most  brilliant  attire.  Dona  Rosalia,  who  was 
to  be  the  madrina,  wore  a  dress  of  black  merino,  and  was 
adorned  with  a  few  jewels  of  small  value.  Don  Valentin, 
the  padrino,  had  pulled  out  from  the  bottom  of  the  trunk 
the  dress-coat  in  which  he  had  been  painted  when  he  be- 
came a  ship's  mate  ;  it  was  a  coat  of  ample  circumference, 
with  a  narrow  collar  and  very  short  sleeves  :  the  ex-cap- 
tain of  the  Rdpido  wore  it  with  the  same  grace  and  dex- 
terity as  he  did  his  best  shirt.  In  the  starched  and 
crimped  bosom  shone  two  large  amethysts  which  he  had 
bought  in  1842  in  Manilla  ;  over  his  vest  and  around  his 
neck  hung  his  watch  chain ;  the  watch  was  gold  and  had 
a  seal  adorned  with  opals.  But  it  was  in  his  feet  that 
Don  Valentin  took  the  greatest  pride  :  his  wife  had  always 
boasted  (because  he  was  wholly  incapable  of  boasting 
about  anything)  that  there  were  no  others  'iri  the  village 
so  short  and  well-turned ;  wherefore,  the  old  sailor,  in 
honor  of  this  solemn  occasion,  felt  called  upon  to  give 
such  a  shine  to  his  boots  that  they  equalled  ' '  the  moons 


12  MAXIMINA. 

of  Venice  "  ;  but  solely  for  the  purpose  of  affording  the 
companion  of  his  life  a  new  and  pure  delight. 

The  company  missed  several  damsels,  but  the  report 
went  round  that  the}"  were  engaged  in  helping  dress  the 
bride.  It  was  not  long  before  she  made  her  appearance, 
in  a  modest  but  elegant  dark  blue  woollen  dress  trimmed 
with  black  velvet ;  she  also  wore  the  bridegroom's  costly 
jewels,  and  a  bunch  of  orange  flowers  in  her  bosom. 

When  she  entered  the  parlor,  all  the  women  kissed 
her,  with  the  exception  of  her  aunt,  who,  at  the  sight  of 
the  dress  she  wore,  felt  the  terrible  wound  that  she  had 
received  the '  evening  before,  open  again.  Maximum 
glanced  at  her  timidly  three  or  four  times,  and  went  of 
her  own  accord  to  kiss  her.  But  she  did  not  once  look  in 
the  direction  of  Miguel,  who,  on  the  other  hand,  devoured 
her  with  his  eyes,  thoroughly  understanding  the  feeling  of 
bashfulness  that  possessed  her  in  spite  of  her  feigned 
calmness. 

The  artistic  young  girls  who  had  adorned  her  were  far 
from  satisfied  with  their  work.  They  evidently  felt  tor- 
tured by  those  keen  though  insidious  doubts  that  always 
attack  the  poet  or  painter  during  the  last  moments  of 
creation.  After  they  were  all  seated  in  their  places,  one 
would  jump  up  and  trip  over  deftly  to  set  the  diamond 
pin  farther  back,  and  another  would  approach  her  and 
give  the  sprig  of  orange  blossoms  "  the  least  bit  of  a 
twist "  ;  another  would  find  it  necessary  slightly  to  re- 
arrange the  hair ;  and  still  another  would  smooth  out  a 
wrinkle  in  the  dress,  and  another  adjust  it  about  the  neck. 
In  fact,  there  was  a  constant  coming  and  going.  Maxi- 
mina  allowed  them  to  do  as  they  pleased,  and  for  all  their 
efforts  she  thanked  them  with  a  smile. 

"  See  here,  Don  Miguel,  you  have  not  been  to  confes- 
sion yet,  have  you  ?  "  inquired  Doiia  Rosalia. 


MAXIMINA.  13 

"  No ;  that  is  a  fact :  no  one  reminded  me  of  it,"  replied 
the  young  man,  suddenly  rising.  "And  Maximina?" 

"  I  have  already  been." 

' '  Then  let  us  be  about  it,  gentlemen  !  " 

As  he  went  out,  he  again  gave  Maximina  a  keen  glance, 
which  the  girl  pretended  not  to  notice. 

As  yet  not  even  the  first  gleams  of  daylight  tinged 
the  eastern  sky ;  it  is  true  it  had  grown  cloudy  dur- 
ing the  night,  and  the  rain  was  still  falling.  With  um- 
brella spread,  and  muffled  in  their  great-coats,  Miguel 
and  Don  Valentin  made  their  way  along  the  deserted 
street. 

Never  had  starry  and  diaphanous  night  in  August  seemed 
more  beautiful  to  our  hero  :  this  early  morning  chill,  damp 
and  melancholy,  remained  graven  on  his  heart  as  the 
loveliest  of  his  life.  The  church  offered  a  still  more 
gloomy  and  lugubrious  spectacle. 

They  sent  word  to  the  cure,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
he  came.  He  was  an  elderly  gentleman,  and,  consider- 
ing the  importance  of  the  wedding,  answered  with  resig- 
nation the  call  at  such  an  unusual  hour.  He  led  the 
young  man  gently  by  the  hand  to  a  dark  corner  of  the 
temple,  and  there  listened  to  his  confession. 

Miguel  was  still  on  his  knees  before  the  priest  when  he 
heard  the  noise  of  the  wedding  procession  as  it  entered 
the  church  with  considerable  tumult,  and  his  heart 
melted  within  him,  not  with  sorrow  at  having  offended 
God,  we  must  confess  to  his  shame,  but  with  sweet  and 
delicious  longing. 

After  granting  him  absolution,  the  cure"  returned  to  the 
sacristy  to  robe  himself,  and  Miguel  joined  his  friends, 
without  being  able  to  catch  sight  of  his  bride.  Only  when 
the  sacristan  came  to  tell  them  to  come  to  the  grand  altar, 
did  he  see  her,  accompanied  by  her  aunt.  The  friends 


14  MAXIMINA. 

went  forward,  pushing  their  way,  and  met,  without  know- 
ing how  it  was  accomplished,  at  each  other's  side,  near  the 
altar  and  in  front  of  the  cure. 

Contrai'y  to  all  expectations,  Maximina  appeared  quite 
calm  during  the  ceremony,  and  replied  to  the  priest's 
questions  in  a  ringing  voice,  which  pleased  the  good  man 
so  much  that  he  exclaimed  :  — 

"That  is  the  way  to  answer!  That  is  something 
like !  .  .  .  Not  like  those  prudish  girls  who  are  crazy 
to  get  married,  and  yet  no  one  can  get  a  word  out  of 
them !  " 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  morning  to  be  out,  but  the  parish- 
ioners of  Saint  Peter's  were  used  to  such  things,  and  they 
smiled  with  satisfaction.  The  worthy  father  gave  them 
his  blessing,  with  his  hands  raised  above  them  solemnly 
and  majestically,  imitating,  so  far  as  was  possible,  the 
attitude  of  Moses  when  he  separated  the  waters  of  the 
Red  Sea. 

Then  began  the  mass ;  the  newly  wedded  couple  and 
the  relatives  fell  upon  their  knees.  When  a  certain  point 
was  reached,  Dona  Rosalia,  who  understood  exactly  how 
to  act,  arose  and  threw  a  chain  around  Maximina's  head, 
asking  Don  Valentin  to  put  the  other  end  over  Miguel's 
shoulder.  When  they  were  thus  joined  together,  the  son 
of  the  brigadier  began  to  move  away,  gently  pulling  at  the 
chain.  Maximiua  had  not  yet  given  him  a  glance  :  she  paid 
no  attention  to  the  first  pull,  supposing  it  to  be  accidental ; 
but  at  the  second  she  whispered,  with  a  smile  :  — 

"  Be  quiet!  " 

Miguel  pulled  still  harder. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake  do  take  that  off !  " 

When  the  service  was  over,  those  who  were  present, 
making  quite  a  congregation,  gathered  around  to  offer 
them  their  congratulations :  there  were  sly  hand-shak- 


MAXIMINA.  15 

ings,  circumspect  pushing,  convulsed  sounds  of  laugh- 
ter :  every  one  was  afraid  of  behaving  unseemly  in  the 
church. 

When  they  came  out,  the  dawn  was  just  breaking ;  a 
few  early  risers  gazed  curiously  out  of  their  windows  to 
see  the  procession  pass.  Miguel  had  remained  behind 
with  a  group  of  men,  and  once  more  he  lost  sight  of 
Maximina,  who  had  gone  on  ahead  with  her  friends. 

In  Don  Valentin's  parlor  a  table  was  awaiting  them 
most  generously  supplied  with  refreshments  and  wines, 
and  artistically  decorated.  Miguel  took  chocolate  with 
the  witnesses ;  the  bride  had  gone  to  her  room,  they  said, 
to  change  her  dress.  In  a  short  time  he  started  to  do  the 
same.  On  one  of  the  landing-places  of  the  stairway  he 
came  upon  his  bride,  with  the  maid  buttoning  her  boots  : 
both  of  them  were  startled ;  Maximina  kept  her  eyes 
fastened  on  the  girl's  fingers  ;  Miguel  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  exclaimed,  with  the  idea  of  saying  some- 
thing :  — 

"Ah!  you  are  already  dressed,  then?  I  am  going  to 
do  the  same." 

And  as  though  some  enemy  were  at  his  heels,  he  went 
up  stairs  three  steps  at  a  time. 

They  rejoined  each  other  shortly  after  in  the  parlor. 
Maximina's  gray  travelling-dress  and  her  hat,  in  the  latest 
style,  were  very  becoming  to  her.  As  the  hour  for  their 
departure  was  now  drawing  near,  the  leave-taking  began, 
accompanied  by  torrents  of  tears  even  more  tempestuous 
than  usual.  On  the  part  of  the  feminine  sex  it  was  a 
genuine  flood ;  one  young  lady  went  so  far  as  to  faint 
away.  Only  the  bride  appeared  serene  and  smiling ;  a 
fact  which  made  her  aunt  unspeakably  indignant,  and 
caused  her  to  form  a  very  poor  idea  of  her  niece,  as  was 
shown  by  what  she  confessed  afterwards  to  her  friends  :  — 


16  MAXIMINA. 

"What  a  lack  of  feeling!  If  only  for  the  sake  of 
appearances ! " 

One  of  Maximina's  young  mates  went  to  her,  bathed  in 
tears,  and  kissed  her. 

"  Aren't  you  weeping*,  Maximina?" 

"I  can't,"  replied  the  poor  child. 

Nevertheless,  when  her  cousins,  the  daughters  of  Dona 
Rosalia,  kissed  her  on  the  cheeks,  crying,  "We  don't 
want  you  to  go  away,  Maximina !  "  the  deep  flush  that 
spread  over  her  face  and  the  peculiar  smile  that  curled 
her  lips  were  indications,  for  any  one  who  knew  her, 
that  she  was  not  far  from  turning  on  the  flood-gates  of 
her  tears. 

All,  or  almost  all,  escorted  the  bridal  couple  down  to 
the  boat  in  which  they  were  to  embark ;  but  only  Don 
Valentin  and  two  other  friends,  who  found  room  in  the 
row-boat,  accompanied  them  to  the  station. 

It  must  be  remarked  that  a  girl  belonging  to  the  village 
went  with  the  pair  to  Madrid,  in  the  capacity  of  lady's 
maid :  her  name  was  Juaua,  and  she  was  a  fresh,  strong, 
and  rather  attractive-looking  damsel.  Miguel,  knowing 
his  bride's  character,  had  not  wished  that  her  maid  should 
be  an  out  and  out  Madrilena. 

After  they  were  safely  in  the  station,  and  the  guard's 
stentorian  voice  was  heard  calling  the  passengers  to  the 
train,  Don  Valentin  permitted  himself  the  unwonted  lux- 
ury of  being  moved.  He  embraced  his  niece  tenderly, 
and  kissed  her  effusively  on  her  hair.  Maximina  like- 
wise showed  more  agitation  than  at  any  time  before  ;  but 
even  then  she  made  an  effort  to  smile. 

The  engine  whistled.  The  train  moved  out  of  the  sta- 
tion. They  were  the  only  travellers  in  that  compartment, 
and  the  young  people  took  seats  facing  each  other  at  one 
side  :  Juana,  out  of  delicacy,  sat  down  at  the  farthest  end. 


MAX1MINA.  17 

The  husband  and  wife  looked  into  each  other's  eyes, 
and  Miguel  felt  a  sweet,  gentle  thrill  of  joy,  a  something 
unspeakable  and  heavenly,  that  caused  his  heart  to  beat 
violently.  And  after  making  sure  that  Juana's  attention 
was  called  away  by  the  sights  from  the  window,  he  took 
his  bride's  hand  and  gave  it  a  stealthy  kiss,  leaning  over 
toward  her  with  his  whole  body.  But  the  hand — how 
vexatious  !  —  was  gloved.  In  a  moment  he  hinted  to  her 
to  take  off  the  glove.  Maximiua,  after  letting  him  im- 
plore her  by  means  of  expressive  pantomime,  at  last 
decided,  with  a  laugh,  to  remove  the  glove ;  and  the 
young  man  imprinted  a  host  of  warm  kisses  on  the 
soft  palm,  all  the  while  watching  the  maid  out  of  the 
corner  of  his  eye. 

Then  the  conversation  became  general  between  the 
three.  Juana,  who  had  never  been  beyond  San  Sebas- 
tian, was  astonished  at  everything  she  saw,  and  particu- 
larly at  the  sheep :  the  hens  also  seemed  to  occupy  her 
thoughts  deeply.  Miguel  was  assiduous  in  attentions  to 
his  bride.  "  Maximina,  if  your  hat  is  in  your  way,  you 
had  better  take  it  off.  .  .  .  Let  me  have  it ;  we  will 
hang  it  up  there  —  so  now  it  won't  fall.  .  .  .  See  here  ! 
you  had  better  take  off  your  heavy  boots  too.  I  have 
your  thin  shoes  here  in  the  hand-bag.  ...  I  asked  your 
uncle  for  them.  .  .  .  Don't  you  want  to  put  them  on  ?  I 
am  afraid  your  feet  will  get  cold.  .  .  .  Just  wait  a 
moment ;  I  will  wrap  them  up  in  my  blanket.  .  .  ." 

And,  kneeling  down,  he  wrapped  up  her  feet  with  the 
greatest  care.  Joy  made  them  so  social  that  in  a  little 
while  the  husband  and  wife  and  the  maid  were  chatting 
and  laughing  like  jolly  companions.  Maximina  made 
long  circumlocutions,  so  as  not  to  address  her  husband 
directly,  because  she  did  not  want  to  call  him  "you," 
and  at  the  same  time  she  was  too  timid  to  say  "  thou  " 


18  MAXIMINA. 

to  him.  Miguel  was  aware  of  her  efforts  in  this  direc- 
tion, but  he  did  not  help  her  any.  At  last,  however, 
after  a  long  time  and  much  hesitation,  in  reply  to  his 
question,  "Shan't  we  have  some  breakfast?"  she  took 
the  fatal  leap,  and  answered  timidly,  "Just  as  tlwu 
pleasest." 

Miguel  hastily  raised  his  head  and  affected  to  be 
amazed.  "  Hola,  senorita !  what  familiarity  is  this? 
You  said  '  thou '  to  me  !  " 

Maximina  blushed  to  her  ears,  and,  hiding  her  face  in 
her  hands,  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Oh !  please  don't  speak  to  me  so,  for  I  won't  do  so 
again." 

"What  a  silly  puss!"  said  the  young  man,  pulling 
away  her  hands  gently.  "That  would  be  amusing." 

Juana  burst  into  a  hearty  fit  of  laughter. 

II. 

AFTER  they  had  breakfasted  they  found  that  they  had 
no  water.  At  the  first  stop,  Juana  got  out,  and  came 
back  with  a  tumblerful.  There  is  some  slight  basis  for 
the  belief  that  during  her  short  absence  Miguel  kissed 
his  bride  elsewhere  than  on  her  hand ;  but  we  have  no 
absolute  proof  of  it. 

At  Venta  de  Bafios  four  travellers  entered  the  same 
compartment,  —  three  ladies  and  a  gentleman.  All  were 
upwards  of  forty.  From  what  they  said  it  was  evident 
that  they  were  brother  and  sisters ;  and  they  spoke  with 
a  decided  Galician  *  accent. 

Miguel  took  the  seat  by  his  wife's  side,  and  put  the  maid 
in  front  of  them,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  be  very  circum- 
spect, so  that  the  strangers  might  not  suspect  that  they 
1  Galicia  is  the  northwestern  province  of  Spain. 


MAXIMINA.  19 

were  newly  married.  Nevertheless,  one  circumstance  could 
not  escape  them  :  the  constant  exchange  of  glances  and 
the  mysterious  conversation  kept  up  by  the  young  people 
betrayed  them  beyond  peradventure.  The  ladies  laughed 
at  first,  then  they  whispered  together,  and  finally  they 
schemed  to  get  into  conversation  with  their  companions  ; 
and  in  this  they  were  speedily  successful. 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  find  out  what  they  wanted 
to  know ;  whereupon  there  sprang  up,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  a  lively  sympathy  for  Maximina,  and  they  made 
it  perfectly  manifest,  and  overwhelmed  her  with  atten- 
tions. The  girl,  who  was  not  used  to  such  things,  ap- 
peared confused  and  embarrassed,  and  smiled  with  that 
timid,  bashful  look  that  was  characteristic  of  her. 

This  entirely  won  the  hearts  of  the  Galician  ladies ; 
they  openly  took  her  under  their  protection.  They  were 
all  unmarried ;  the  brother  also.  None  of  them  had 
been  willing  to  get  married,  "  because  of  the  grief  which 
the  mere  idea  of  separation  caused  the  others "  :  they 
were  unanimous  in  this  assertion.  As  for  the  rest,  how 
many  proposals  they  had  refused  ! 

One  of  them,  —  Dolores,  —  according  to  the  other  two, 
had  been  engaged  six  years  to  a  law  student  in  Santiago. 
When  he  finished  his  studies,  Dolores  for  some  reason  or 
other  had  broken  their  engagement,  and  the  young  lawyer 
had  gone  home,  where,  in  his  indignation,  he  had  imme- 
diately married  the  richest  belle  of  the  village. 

The  second  sister,  Rita,  had  had  several  attachments,  but 
her  papa  had  objected  to  them.  The  young  man  who  loved 
her  was  a  poet ;  he  was  poor.  Nothing  could  induce  her 
papa  to  give  up  his  opposition  and  accept  him  for  a  son- 
in-law.  When  least  they  thought  of  such  a  thing,  he  had 
in  desperation  disappeared  from  Santiago,  after  taking 
a  tender  farewell  of  Rita,  —  the  lady  objected  to  having 


20  MAX1MINA. 

the  romantic  details  of  this  farewell  related !  —  and  noth- 
ing more  was  ever  heard  of  him.  Some  supposed  that  he 
had  perished  in  the  claws  of  a  tiger  while  searching  for  a 
gold  mine  in  California. 

As  for  the  third,  Carolina,  she  was  a  regular  flyaway ! 
Her  brother  and  sisters  had  never  been  able  to  tame  her 
down.  When  at  home  they  had  the  greatest  reason  to 
think  she  was  in  love  and  that  the  affair  was  becoming 
serious,  poum !  one  fine  evening  she  suddenly  jilted  her 
lover  and  took  a  new  one  in  his  place  !  Carolina,  who 
was  forty-five  at  the  very  lowest  reckoning,  became  quite 
rosy  when  she  heard  this  report,  and  exclaimed,  with  a 
fascinating  smile  :  — 

"  Don't  you  heed  what  they  say,  Maximina !  How 
silly  that  girl  is  !  ...  To  be  sure  I  cannot  deny  that  I 
like  change  ;  but  who  does  not  ?  Men  have  to  be  pun- 
ished from  time  to  time,  for  they  are  very  bad !  very  bad ! 
Don't  you  be  vexed,  Seiior  Rivera.  .  .  .  That  is  the 
reason  why  I  said  to  myself,  '  I  shall  not  give  my  heart  to 
any  one  whatever.'" 

"  That  means,"  said  Rita,  "  that  you  have  never  been 
really  in  love  !  " 

"  Very  likely  ;  as  yet  I  have  not  been  troubled  with  those 
anxieties  and  worriments  which  lovers,  they  say,  suffer 
from.  No  man  ever  pleased  me  for  more  than  a  fort- 
night." 

"  How  terrible  !  "  exclaimed  Dolores  and  Rita,  laughing. 

"  Don't  say  such  things,  you  silly  girl !  " 

"  Why  shouldn't  I  say  what  I  feel,  Rita?  " 

"  Because  it  isn't  proper.  Young  ladies  ought  to  be 
careful  what  they  say ! " 

"  Come  now,  Carolina,"  urged  Miguel,  assuming  great 
seriousness,  "in  the  name  of  humanity  I  beg  you  to 
soften  your  hard  heart  and  listen  to  some  happy  man  ! " 


MAXIMINA.  21 

"  Yes  ;  fine  rascals  you  men  are  ! " 

"  Child  !  "  cried  Dolores. 

"Let  her  alone!  let  her  alone!"  interrupted  Miguel. 
"  In  time  she  will  come  to  feel  how  wrong  it  is !  I  am  in 
hopes  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  some  one  will  come 
and  avenge  all  of  us  !  " 

"  Nonsense !  " 

During  this  banter  the  brother,  who  was  a  fat  gentleman, 
with  long  white  mustaches,  snored  like  a  sea-calf. 

Maximina  listened  in  amazement  to  all  these  things 
which  she  could  scarcely  comprehend,  and  she  glanced  at 
Miguel  from  time  to  time,  trying  to  make  out  whether 
they  were  speaking  in  earnest  or  in  jest.  The  Senoritas 
de  Cuervo  —  for  such  was  their  name  —  were  on  then1  way 
to  Madrid  to  spend  the  season  —  this  was  their  custom 
every  year :  the  remainder  of  the  winter  they  spent  at 
Santiago,  and  in  the  spring  they  went  to  a  very  pictur- 
esque little  village,  where  they  amused  themselves  in  their 
own  way,  running  like  fawns  across  country,  climbing 
trees  to  get  cherries  and  figs  and  apples,  drinking  water 
from  their  hands,  making  excursions  on  mule-back  to 
neighboring  villages  (what  fun  !  what  a  good  time  they 
did  have,  madre  mia!),  and  taking  part  in  farm  work,  and 
drinking  milk  just  brought  in  by  the  man  from  the  milking. 

"This  sister  Carolina  of  ours  becomes  unendurable 
as  soon  as  we  get  there.  She  sets  out  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  no  one  knows  anything  about  her  till  dinner  time  ; 
and  before  dinner  is  fairly  over,  she  is  off  again,  and  does 
not  get  back  till  night  !  " 

"How  you  do  talk,  Lola!  I  go  out  with  the  other 
girls  to  hunt  for  nests  or  wash  clothes  down  by  the  river. 
.  .  .  But  you  spend  your  mortal  hours  exchanging  small 
talk  with  some  silly  gallant  who  dances  attendance  on 
you.  ..." 


22  MAXIMINA. 

"Heavens!  what  a  cruel  thing  to  say.  I  must  hope, 
Senor  Rivera,  that  you  will  not  put  any  credence  in  such 
nonsense,  without  any  foundation  in  fact.  .  .  .  Just 
imagine  !  all  the  gallants  in  that  place  are  farm  hands  !  " 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  replied  Miguel.  "  Farm 
hands  also  have  hearts  and  can  love  beautiful  objects.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  you  have  many  a  suitor  amoug  them." 

"  As  to  that,"  replied  Lola,  with  a  blush,  "  if  I  must  tell 
the  truth  — yes,  sir,  they  are  very  fond  of  me.  Every  year, 
as  soon  as  it  is  known  that  we  have  come,  the  young  men 
make  their  arrangements  to  give  me  a  serenade,  and  they 
even  cut  down  a  little  tree  so  as  to  get  in  front  of  my 
window." 

"  The  serenade  was  not  for  you  alone,"  interrupted 
Carolina,  warmly.  .  .  "  It  is  for  all  of  us." 

"  But  the  tree  was  mine,"  replied  Lola,  with  some  show 
of  ill-temper. 

"  The  tree  !  very  good  ;  but  not  the  serenade,"  replied 
the  other,  somewhat  piqued. 

Lola  gave  her  a  sharp  look,  and  went  on  :  "  Judge  for 
yourself,  Senor  Rivera,  whether  it  does  not  show  that  they 
are  in  love  with  me  :  when  the  engineers  came  to  build  a 
bridge,  I  said  that  I  did  not  like  the  place  where  they  had 
made  their  arrangements  to  put  it,  but  I  wanted  it  farther 
back,  .  .  .  and  as  soon  as  the  young  men  of  the  village 
heard  what  I  had  said,  they  made  a  forjaal  visit  to  the 
engineers  and  told  them  that  the  bridge  must  be  put  where 
the  seiiorita  wanted  it,  and  that  no  other  site  for  it  must 
be  thought  of,  because  they  would  put  a  stop  to  it ;  and  as 
the  engineers  were  not  willing  to  change  their  plans,  the 
result  was,  the  bridge  was  not  built  till  four  years  ago." 

"  All  this,"  said  Miguel,  "  is  not  so  much  to  your  honor 
ps  to  that  of  those  intelligent  young  men  !  " 

"  They  are  such  nice  boys  !  " 


MAXIMINA.  23 

"Nothing  so  sanctifies  the  soul  as  love  and  admiration," 
exclaimed  Rivera,  sententiously. 

Lola  said.  "  Ah !  "  and  blushed. 

These  three  ladies  were  dressed  in  an  improbable,  and, 
if  we  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  an  anachronistic 
st3'le :  their  dresses  were  beautiful,  picturesque,  and  even 
rather  fantastic,  such  as  suited  only  maidens  of  fifteen. 
Carolina  wore  her  hair  in  two  braids  with  silk  ribbons  in 
the  ends,  and  constricted  her  flabby  and  wrinkled  neck 
with  a  blue  velvet  band  from  which  hung  a  little  emerald 
crucifix :  the  others,  in  their  attempt  to  be  a  little  more 
fashionable,  had  their  hair  done  up,  but  they  wore  just 
as  manjr  ribbons  and  other  ornaments. 

The  evening  was  already  at  hand. 

The  Cuervo  family  proposed  to  have  dinner,  and  hos- 
pitably invited  their  new-made  friends  to  partake  of  the 
luncheon  that  they  had  brought  with  them  ;  Rivera  and 
his  bride  accepted,  and  likewise  offered  to  share  their  pro- 
visions, and  with  all  good-fellowship  and  friendliness  they 
all  set  to  work  to  make  way  with  them,  having  first  spread 
napkins  over  their  knees. 

The  brother,  who  had  waked  up  just  in  time,  fed  like 
an  elephant ;  during  dinner  time  he  made  few  remarks, 
but  they  were  to  the  point :  one  of  them  was  this  :  — 

"I  am  a  regular  eagle  as  far  as  tomatoes  are  con- 
cerned ! " 

Miguel  sat  in  silent  wonder  for  some  time,  but  at  last 
he  began  to  appreciate  the  depth  hidden  in  this  hyper- 
bolical sentence. 

A  close  intimacy  had  sprung  up  among  them  all. 
Dolores,  not  satisfied  with  calling  Miguel  by  his  Chris- 
tian name,  instead  of  his  title,  proposed  that  she  and 
Maximina  should  go  to  the  extent  of  addressing  each 
other  with  ' '  thou  "  :  — 


24  MAXIMINA. 

• 

"  I  cannot  feel  that  a  person  is  my  friend  unless  I  can 
'  thee  and  thou '  her.  .  .  .  Besides,  it  is  customary  among 
girls." 

The  bride  smiled  timidly  at  this  strange  proposition, 
and  the  Galician  ladies,  without  further  excuse  began  to 
make  use  of  the  second  personal  pronoun.  But  Maxi- 
mina,  though  warmly  urged,  could  not  bring  herself  to 
such  a  degree  of  intimacy,  and  before  she  knew  it,  she 
dropped  into  the  ordinary  form,1  whereupon  the  Cuervo 
ladies  showed  that  they  felt  affronted  ;  the  poor  child 
found  herself  obliged  to  make  use  of  numberless  round- 
about expressions  to  avoid  addressing  them  directly. 

Miguel,  in  order  to  take  a  humorous  revenge  upon 
them  for  the  annoyance  that  they  caused  his  wife,  be- 
gan in  turn  to  speak  to  them  with  great  familiarity  ;  and, 
though  this  for  a  moment  surprised  them,  they  took  it  in 
perfectly  good  part.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  he  soon  took 
occasion  to  shake  the  white-mustachioed  gentleman  rudely 
by  the  arm,  saying  :  — 

"See  here,  old  boy,  don't  sleep  so  much!  Wouldn't 
you  like  a  little  gin?" 

Don  Nazario — for  that  was  his  name — opened  his  eyes 
in  sudden  terror,  drained  the  cup  that  was  offered  him. 
and  immediately  fell  into  another  doze. 

It  was  really  time  for  them  all  to  do  the  same.  So 
Miguel  drew  the  shade  of  the  lamp,  and  so  "that  the 
light  might  not  trouble  their  eyes,"  he  also  doubled 
around  it  a  folded  newspaper.  Thus  the  car  was  made 
dark ;  only  the  pale  starlight  gleamed  in  through  the 
windows. 

It  was  a  clear,  cold  January  night,  such  as  are  peculiar 
to  the  plains  of  Castille.  Each  passenger  got  into  the 

1  Using  listed,  contraction  for  V'tiestra  merced ;  literally,  your 
grace. 


MAXIMINA.  25 

most  comfortable  position  possible,  snuggling  down  into 
the  corners.  Rivera  said  to  his  wife  :  — 

"  Lean  your  head  on  ray  shoulder.  I  cannot  sleep  in 
the  train." 

The  girl  did  as  she  was  bidden,  in  spite  of  herself;  she 
was  afraid  of  incommoding  him. 

All  was  quiet.  Miguel  managed  to  get  hold  of  one  of 
her  hands,  and  gentl}'  caressed  it.  After  a  while,  lean- 
ing his  head  over  and  touching  his  lips  to  his  wife's  brow, 
he  whispered  very  softly  :  — 

"  Maximina,  I  adore  you,"  and  then  he  repeated  the 
words  with  even  more  emotion,  "  Te  addro,  te  addro!" 

The  girl  did  not  reply ;  but  feigned  to  be  asleep. 
Miguel  asked  with  persuasive  voice :  — 

"  Do  you  love  me?     Do  you?" 

The  same  immobility. 

"  Tell  me  !  do  you  love  me? " 

Then  Maximina,  without  opening  her  eyes,  made  a 
slight  sign  of  assent,  and  added  :  — 

"  I  am  very  sleepy." 

Miguel,  perceiving  the  trembling  of  her  hands,  smiled, 
and  said  :  — 

"  Then  go  to  sleep,  darling." 

And  now  nothing  was  to  be  heard  in  the  compartment, 
except  Don  Nazario's  snoring,  in  which  he  was  a  special- 
ist. He  usually  began  to  snore  in  a  deliberate  and  solemn 
manner,  in  decided,  full  pulsations  ;  gradually  it  increased 
in  energy,  the  periods  became  shorter  and  more  energetic, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  sort  of  guttural  note  was  intro- 
duced, which  was  scarcely  perceptible  at  first;  from  the 
nostrils  the  voice  descended  into  the  gullet,  rising  and 
falling  alternately  for  a  long  time.  But,  when  least  ex- 
pected, within  that  apparently  invariable  rhythm,  would  be 
heard  a  sharp  and  shrill  whistle,  like  the  bugle  blast  of  an 


26  MAXIMINA. 

on-coming  tempest.  And,  in  fact,  the  whistle  would  find 
an  answer  in  a  deep  and  ominous  rumble,  and  than  an- 
other still  louder,  and  then  another ;  .  .  .  then  the  whis- 
tling would  be  repeated  in  a  more  terrific  fashion,  and 
that  would  be  drowned  in  a  confused  murmur  of  dis- 
cordant notes  fit  to  inspire  the  soul  with  terror.  And 
this  conflict  of  sounds  would  go  on  increasing  and  in- 
creasing, until  at  last,  some  way  or  other,  it  would  be 
suddenly  changed  into  an  asthmatic  and  blatant  cough. 
Then  Don  Nazario  would  heave  a  deep  sigh,  rest  a  few 
short  moments,  and  continue  his  reverberant  oration  in 
measured  and  dignified  tone. 

Miguel  dozed  with  his  eyes  open.  His  imagination  was 
thronged  tumultuously  by  radiant  visions,  a  thousand 
foregleams  of  happiness  :  life  presented  itself  in  sweet 
and  lovely  aspect  before  him,  such  as  it  had  never  hitherto 
assumed.  He  had  amused  himself,  he  had  enjoyed  the 
pleasures  of  the  world  ;  but  ever  behind  them,  and  some- 
times in  the  midst  of  them,  he  perceived  the  bitter  resid- 
uum, the  wake  of  weariness  and  pain  which  the  demon 
of  passion  traces  across  the  lives  of  his  worshippers. 
What  a  difference  now!  His  heart  told  him:  "Thou 
hast  done  well !  thou  wilt  be  happy  !  "  And  his  intellect, 
weighing  carefully  and  comparing  the  value  of  what  he 
had  left  behind  with  what  he  had  chosen,  likewise  gave 
him  its  approval. 

For  a  long  time  he  remained  awake,  feeling  the  weight 
of  his  wife's  head  resting  on  his  shoulder.  From  time  to 
time  he  looked  down  at  her,  and  though  he  saw  that  her 
eyes  were  shut,  he  was  inclined  to  think  that  she  was  not 
asleep. 

Finally  sleep  overcame  him.  When  he  opened  his  eyes, 
the  compartment  was  already  full  of  the  early  morning 
light.  He  looked  at  his  wife,  and  saw  that  she  was  wide 
awake. 


MAXIMINA.  27 

"Maximina,"  said  he,  in  a  low  voice,  so  as  not  to  dis- 
turb the  others,  "  have  you  been  awake  long?  " 

"  No  ;  only  a  little  while,"  said  the  girl,  sitting  up. 

"  And  why  didn't  you  sit  up?  " 

"Because  I, was  afraid  of  disturbing  you  if  I  moved." 

"  But  how  much  I  would  rather  have  had  you  wake  me  ! 
Don't  you  know  that  I  have  been  wanting  to  talk  with 
you?"' 

And  the  young  couple  began  to  converse  in  such  low 
voices  that  they  divined  rather  than  heard  each  other's 
words  ;  all  the  time,  the  Cuervo  sisters,  their  brother,  and 
Juana  were  sleeping  in  various  and  original  positions. 
"What  did  they  talk  about?  They  themselves  did  not 
know  :  words  have  a  conventional  value,  and  all  of  theirs, 
without  a  single  exception,  expressed  the  same  idea. 

Miguel,  cautious  of  speaking  about  themselves,  because 
he  noticed  that  it  embarrassed  Maximina,  turned  the  con- 
versation to  some  pleasing  subject  and  tried  to  make  her 
laugh,  so  that  her  natural  bashfulness  might  wear  away. 
Nevertheless,  he  took  the  risk  of  once  asking  her,  with  a 
keen  glance  :  — 

"  Are  you  happy?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Aren't  you  sorry  that  you  are  mine?" 

"  Oh,  no  !     If  you  only  knew  !  .  .  ." 

"  Knew  what? " 

"  Nothing,  nothing  !  " 

*'  Yes  ;  you  were  going  to  say  something :  tell  me  !  " 

"  It  was  nonsense." 

"Tell  me,  then  !  I  have  the  right  now  to  know  even 
the  most  trifling  thing  that  passes  through  your  mind." 

He  was  obliged  to  insist  long  and  tenderly  before  he 
succeeded  in  finding  out. 

"  Come  now  ;  whisper  it  in  my  ear." 


28  MAXIMINA. 

And  he  adroitly  led  her  on.  Finally  Maximina  whis- 
pered :  — 

"  I  had  a  very  miserable  night,  Friday." 

"Why?" 

"  After  you  told  me  that  you  still  had  time  to  leave  me, 
I  could  not  think  of  anything  else.  I  imagined  that  you 
said  it  with  a  peculiar  meaning.  I  kept  walking  up  and 
down  the  room  all  night.  Ay  madre  mia !  how  it  made 
me  feel !  I  was  up  before  any  one  else  in  the  house,  and  I 
tiptoed  in  my  bare  feet  to  your  room  :  then  I  laid  my  ear 
to  the  key-hole  to  see  if  I  could  hear  you  breathing ;  but 
nothing !  What  a  feeling  of  dismay  I  had !  When  the 
maid  got  up,  I  asked  her  with  a  real  sense  of  dread  if  you 
had  been  called.  She  told  me  '  Yes,'  and  I  drew  a  long 
breath.  But  still  I  was  not  entirely  myself  :  I  was  afraid 
that  when  the  cure"  asked  if  you  loved  me,  you  would  say 
'  No.'  When  I  heard  you  say  '  Yes,'  my  heart  gave  a 
bound  of  joy,  and  I  said  to  myself,  '  Now  you  are 
mine  ! ' ' 

"  And  indeed  I  am !  "  exclaimed  the  young  man,  kissing 
her  forehead. 

The  train  was  now  rolling  along  across  the  plains  near 
Madrid.  The  Senoritas  de  Cuervo  awoke  ;  the  daylight 
was  not  very  flattering  to  their  natural  beauties,  but  a 
series  of  delicate  manipulations  which  gave  convincing 
proof  of  their  artistic  aptitude,  quickly  worked  a  change. 
From  a  great  Russia-leather  dressing-case  they  took  out 
combs,  brushes,  pomade,  hairpins,  rice  powder,  and  a 
rouge  pot,  and  amid  a  thousand  affectionate  words  and 
infantile  caresses,  they  proceeded  to  arrange  and  retouch 
each  other's  toilettes  with  the  most  scrupulous  care. 

"Come,  child,  stand  still!  ...  If  you  aren't  careful, 
I  shall  pinch  you.  .  .  .  Mercy,  what  a  naughty  girl  you 
are ! " 


MAXIMINA.  29 

"  I  am  nervous,  Lola,  I  am  nervous  !  " 

"  Everybody  knows  that  you  are  going  to  see  somebody 
very  soon,  and  I  am  not  going  to  tell." 

"What  a  goose  you  are!  Rivera  will  be  sure  to  be- 
lieve you ! " 

Maximina,  with  her  eyes  opened  wide,  looked  in  amaze- 
ment at  this  improvised  toilette.  The  De  Cuervos  begged 
her  to  follow  their  example,  and  then  she  suddenly  awoke 
from  her  stupor,  and  thanked  them  with  embarrassment. 

Our  travellers  found  la  brigadiera  Angela1  and  Julia 
waiting  for  them  at  the  station.  The  latter  hugged  and 
kissed  her  sister-in-law  again  and  again ;  the  former 
offered  her  hand,  and  also  kissed  her  on  the  forehead. 

After  taking  leave  of  their  travelling  acquaintances,  with 
a  thousand  friendly  promises,  they  entered  the  carriage 
which  la  brigadiera  had  brought.  Julia  insisted  that  her 
mother  and  the  bride  should  occupy  the  back  seat ;  she 
herself  could  not  take  her  eyes  from  her  new  sister,  and 
she  held  her  hands,  pressing  them  affectionately  all  the 
time.  Maximina  endeavored  to  conquer  her  timidity  and 
appear  affectionate,  and  by  a  mighty  effort  she  succeded. 

Miguel's  step-mother  showed  herself  affable  and  cour- 
teous, but  still  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  get  entirely 
rid  of  that  proud  and  scornful  mien  that  was  always  pe- 
culiar to  her.  The  bride  from  time  to  time  cast  fleeting 
and  timid  glances  at  her. 

On  reaching  the  house,  Julia  ran  ahead  to  show  the 
way  to  the  suite  of  rooms  that  were  put  at  their  disposal ; 
she  herself  had  arranged  them  with  the  greatest  care. 
Not  a  single  detail  was  lacking :  never  had  forethought 
been  more  successful  in  providing  all  the  necessities  of  a 
woman's  life,  from  flowers  and  sewing-case  to  glovesbut- 
toner  and  hairpins.  Unfortunately  Maximina  could  not 
1  Brigadier-General  Eivera's  widow,  Miguel's  step-mother. 


30  MAXIMINA. 

appreciate  these  refinements  of  elegance  and  good  taste : 
everything  was  for  her  equally  new  and  lovely. 

Miguel  met  his  sister  in  the  corridor. 

"  Where  is  Maximina?" 

"  I  left  her  in  her  room,  taking  off  her  wraps.  She  is 
waiting  for  her  maid  to  bring  her  shoes." 

"Then  I'm  going  to  take  off  my  things  too,  and  brush 
my  hair  a  little,"  said  the  young  man,  rather  awkwardly. 

Julia  stifled  a  laugh,  and  ran  away. 

When  Miguel  reached  his  room,  he  took  off  his  overcoat, 
and  going  to  his  wife,  who  was  still  in  her  gray  travelling- 
suit,  he  pressed  her  to  his  heart,  and  kissed  her  again  and 
again.  Then  taking  her  hand  and  drawing  her  to  a  chair, 
he  seated  her  on  his  knees,  and  began  to  kiss  her  passion- 
ately. 

Maximina  grew  as  red  as  a  cherry,  and  though  she 
was  conscious  that  all  this  sort  of  thing  was  eminently 
proper,  she  managed  gently  to  escape  from  his  arms. 
Miguel,  who  himself  felt  rather  confused,  allowed  her 
to  get  up  and  leave  the  room :  he  followed  her  shortly 
after. 

It  was  Sunday,  and  they  had  to  go  to  mass.  As  Id  bri- 
gadiera  and  Julia  had  already  been,  Maximina,  Miguel, 
and  Juana  were  the  only  ones  to  go,  and  they  chose  San 
Ginez.  The  maid,  who  would  not  have  considered  it  as 
going  to  church  at  all  if  she  did  not  have  a  full  view  of 
the  pi'iest  from  head  to  foot,  made  her  way  through  the 
crowd  and  took  her  place  near  the  altar.  The  young 
couple  stationed  themselves  a  little  farther  back.  Never 
before  had  the  incruental  sacrifice  seemed  so  beautiful  to 
Miguel,  and  never  had  he  taken  so  much  joy  in  it,  although 
his  imagination  did  not  wing  its  flight  exactly  in  the 
direction  of  Golgotha,  nor  were  his  eyes  always  turned 
toward  the  officiating  clergyman.  Heaven,  which  is  ever 


MAXIM  IN  A.  31 

very  merciful  to  the  newly  wedded,  has  ere  this  forgiven 
him  these  shortcomings. 

After  breakfast  Miguel  proposed  a  walk  through  the 
Retiro l  ;  the  afternoon,  though  cold,  was  calm  and 
clear.  La  brigadiera  did  not  care  to  accompany  them, 
but  what  delight  Julita  took  in  helping  her  sister-in-law 
dress,  and  in  giving  the  last  touches  to  her  toilette  !  She 
selected  the  dress  for  her  to  wear,  and  helped  her  put  it 
on ;  she  arranged  her  hair  according  to  the  fashion,  fas- 
tened on  her  jewelry,  and  the  flowers  in  her  bosom,  and 
even  brushed  her  boots.  She  was  rosy  with  delight  in 
performing  these  offices.  As  soon  as  they  reached  the 
street,  she  walked  along  by  her  side,  intoxicated  with 
pride,  in  a  sweetly  patronizing  way,  as  though  saying : 
"  Just  behold  this  }'oung  creature,  even  younger  than  I 
am !  And  yet  she  is  a  married  lady !  Treat  her  with 
great  respect ! " 

Before  reaching  the  Park,  Miguel,  accidentally  looking 

back,  saw  in  the  dim  distance  of  the  Calle  de  Alcala, 

diminished  by  the  density  of  the  ambient  air,  the  deli- 

•cate  profile  of  Utrilla,  that  famous  cadet  of  yore,  and  he 

said  calmly  to  his  wife  :  — 

' '  Now,  Maximina,  though  we  seem  to  be  mere  private 
citizens  going  out  for  a  walk  to  sun  ourselves  in  the 
JRetiro,  still  we  have  a  military  escort." 

Julita  blushed. 

"An  escort?.  I  see  no  one,"  exclaimed  Maximina, 
turning  her  head. 

"  It  is  not  so  easy  ;  but  by  and  by  I  will  give  you  the 
glass,  and  see  if  you  will  be  able  to  make  him  out." 

Julita  pressed  her  hand,  and  whispered :  — 

"  Don't  mind  what  this  foolish  fellow  says." 

1EI  buen  Retiro,  a  public  park  and  drive  in  Madrid,  formerly  the 
pleasure  ground  of  the  Spanish  kings. 


32  MAXIMINA. 

They  were  by  this  time  in  the  Park,  and  Utrilla's  pro- 
file was  growing  more  and  more  distinct  in  the  clear  and 
delicious  atmosphere  slightly  warmed  by  the  sun. 

Maximina  walked  along,  and  gazed  with  a  mixture  of 
surprise  and  awe  at  the  throng  of  gentlemen  and  ladies 
passing  her,  and  impudently  staring  at  her  face  and  dress 
with  that  haughty,  inquisitorial  look  which  the  Madrilenos 
are  accustomed  to  assume  as  they  pass  each  other.  And 
she  even  imagined  that  she  heard  remarks  made  about  her 
behind  her  back  :  — 

"That  is  a  costly  dress,  yes,  indeed!  but  that  child 
does  not  have  any  style  about  wearing  it !  She  looks  like 
a  little  saint  from  the  country." 

This  did  not  offend  her,  because  she  was  perfectly  con- 
vinced of  her  insignificance  by  the  side  of  such  a  gran 
senor  and  senora;  but  it  made  her  a  little  homesick  not 
to  see  a  single  friendly  face,  and  she  half  clung  to  her 
husband's  side  as  if  to  seek  shelter  from  the  vague  and 
unfair  hostility  which  she  saw  around  her. 

But  as  she  glanced  at  him  she  saw  that  he  too  was 
walking  along  with  a  haughty  frown,  and  that  his  face 
showed  the  same  scornful  indifference  and  the  same 
bored  expression  with  all  the  others.  And  her  heart  all 
the  more  sank  within  her,  because  she  was  not  as  yet 
aware  that  the  sentiment  in  vogue  in  Madrid  is  hate,  and 
that  even  if  it  is  not  felt,  it  is  the  thing  to  pretend  to 
show  it,  at  least  in  public. 

But  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  our  heroine  should 
as  yet  have  become  versed  in  all  these  refinements  of 
modern  civilization. 

After  they  had  walked  around  the  Park  several  times, 
Miguel  said  to  his  sister  :  — 

"  See  here,  Julita,  why  hasn't  Utrilla  joined  us,  now 
that  mamma  isn't  with  us?" 


MAXIMINA.  33 

"  Because  I  do  not  wish  it,"  replied  Julita,  quick  as  a 
flash  and  with  great  decision. 

"  And  why  don't  you  wish  it?  " 

"Because  I  don't!" 

Miguel  looked  at  her  a  moment,  with  a  quizzical  expres- 
sion, and  said  :  — 

"  Well,  then,  just  as  you  please." 

During  their  walk  Utrilla,  with  incredible  geometrical 
skill,  cut  a  series  of  circles,  ellipses,  parabolas,  and  other 
incomprehensible  and  erratic  curves,  the  focus  of  which 
was  constantly  our  friends.  When  they  went  home,  he 
took  a  straight  line,  so  well  reckoning  the  measure  of  his 
powers  that  the  outline  of  his  silhouette  all  the  way  just 
came  short  of  being  blotted  out  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon. 

Before  going  into  the  house  they  went  to  the  Swiss 
restaurant1  to  drink  chocolate.  While  they  were  there, 
Rivera  saw  for  a  single  instant  the  cadet's  face  pressed 
against  the  window-pane. 

"  Julita,  won't  you  let  me  go  out  and  ask  that  boy  to 
take  chocolate  with  us  ?  " 

"I  don't  wish  you  to!  I  don't  wish  you  to!"  ex- 
claimed the  young  lady,  in  an  almost  frantic  tone. 

There  was  nothing  left  for  it  but  to  let  her  have  her 
own  way  and  torture  the  unhappy  son  of  Mars. 

"  Maximina,  I  suppose  that  you  don't  know,"  said  the 
cruel  little  Madrilena,  as  they  were  going  into  the  house, 
"  what  we  call  such  lads  as  the  one  who  followed  us  to 
the  door !  " 

"No;  what?" 

"  Encerradores." 2 

And  laughing,  she  ran  up  stairs. 

Dinner  passed  in  social  and  friendly  converse.     La  bri- 

1  El  rcserrrnlo  <l/ 1  Suizo. 

2  Lady-killers,  literally,   drivers  of  cattle. 


34  MAXIMINA. 

gadiera  was  beaming  that  dajr,  as  Miguel  used  to  say ; 
she  talked  a  great  deal  for  her,  and  went  so  far  as  to 
relate  in  her  pleasant  Seville  accent  a  number  of  anec- 
dotes about  people  of  note  in  Madrid. 

But  when  they  came  to  dessert,  Maximina  began  to  feel 
somewhat  uneasy,  because  it  had  been  agreed  among 
them  all  that  they  should  stay  at  home  that  evening,  and 
go  to  bed  betimes,  for  they  were  all  tired,  especially  la 
brigadiera  and  Julita,  who  had  arisen  so  early  that 
morning. 

The  problem  of  getting  up  from  the  table  and  retiring 
appeared  terribly  formidable  to  the  young  girl  of  Pasajes. 

Fortunately,  la  brigadiera  and  Julita  were  both  in  good 
humor ;  dessert  was  taken  leisurely,  and  no  one  beside 
herself  noticed  it.  As  the  moments  passed,  her  embar- 
rassment increased,  and  she  felt  a  strange  trembling  come 
over  her,  preventing  her,  in  spite  of  herself,  from  taking 
part  in  the  conversation.  And,  indeed,  just  as  she  feared, 
the  moment  came  when  the  conversation  began  to  lan- 
guish. Miguel,  in  order  to  hide  the  small  modicum  of 
embarrassment  which  he  also  felt,  did  his  best  to  set  it 
going  again,  and  his  success  was  remarkable  for  a  quarter 

of  an  hour. 

• 

But  the  end  inevitably  came  at  last.  La  brigadiera 
yawned  two  or  three  times ;  Julita  looked  at  the  clock, 
and  saw  that  it  was  half-past  nine.  Maximina  fixed  her 
eyes  on  the  table-cloth  and  played  with  her  napkin-ring, 
while  her  husband,  overcome  by  a  decided  feeling  of 
awkwardness,  made  his  chair  squeak.  f 

At  last  Julita  jumped  up  suddenly,  hurried  from  the 
dining-room,  and  immediately  returned  with  a  small  can- 
dlestick in  her  hand,  quickly  went  to  her  sister-in-law 
and  kissed  her  cheek,  saying,  "Good  night."1  And  she 
1  Husta  manana,  literally,  till  morning. 


MAX1MINA.  35 

ran  out  of  the  room  again,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips  to 
hide  the  embarrassment  which  she  felt  in  common  with 
the  others. 

"  AVell,  3'oung  people,"  said  la  brigadiera  arising 
with  emphasis,  "let  us  retire;  we  all  feel  the  need  of 
rest.  .  .  .  Isabel,  make  a  light  in  the  guest  chamber." 

JMaximina,  blushing  to  her  ears,  and  scarcely  able  to 
move,  owing  to  her  timidity,  went  to  kiss  her.  Miguel 
did  the  same  ;  and  though  he  felt  a  genuine  sense  of  awk- 
wardness, he  cloaked  it  under  the  smile  of  a  man  of  the 
world. 

jn. 

MIGUEL,  though  he  had  as  yet  said  nothing  about  it, 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  live  in  a  separate  house,  though 
it  should  be  near  his  step-mother's.  When  Julita  learned 
this  decision,  she  felt  deeply  grieved,  and  could  not  help 
being  indignant  with  her  brother.  It  was  not  long,  though, 
before  she  came  to  see  that  he  was  right. 

La  brigadiera  treated  Maximina  with  all  the  kindness 
of  which  she  was  capable  ;  Julita  overwhelmed  her  with 
attentions  and  caresses,  but,  nevertheless,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  overcome  her  diffidence.  She  did  not  dare  ask 
for  anything  which  she  wanted,  and  so  time  and  again 
she  went  without  it.  At  table,  when  she  wished  to  be 
helped  to  anything,  the  most  that  she  would  do  would  be 
to  give  Miguel  a  covert  hint  to  have  it  passed.  She  never 
thought  of  giving  any  orders  to  the  house-servants  ;  only 
her  maid  Juana  she  ventured  to  call  to  her  aid  in  the  vari- 
ous requirements  of  her  position. 

Miguel  began  to  feel  a  little  annoyed  about  it,  because 
he  could  not  help  imagining  that  his  wife,  in  spite  of 
her  happy  face,  was  not  very  well  contented  where  she 


36  MAXIMINA. 

was,  and  he  had  even  gently  chided  her  for  her  lack  of 
confidence. 

One  day  not  long  after  their  arrival,  as  he  was  coining 
in  from  out  of  doors,  and  was  just  about  going  to  his 
rooms,  Juaua  called  him  aside,  with  an  air  of  great  mys- 
tery, and  said  :  — 

"  Senorito,  I  want  to  tell  you  something  that  you  ought 
to  know.  ...  La  senorita  has  been  used  to  have  a  lunch 
when  she  was  at  home.  .  .  .  And  here  she  does  not  like 
to  ask  for  it.  ...  To-day  she  sent  me  out  to  buy  a  few 
biscuits.  .  .  .  See,  I  have  them  here." 

"  "Why,  my  poor  little  girl !  "  exclaimed  Miguel,  in  real 
grief.  "  But  how  foolish  of  her  !  " 

"  Don't  for  Heaven's  sake  let  her  know  that  I  told  you, 
for  then  she  would  not  trust  me  any  longer." 

"  How  careless  I  have  been." 

And  he  went  to  his  wife's  room,  saying  :  — 

"  Maximina,  I  have  come  in  hungry  as  a  bear :  I  can't 
wait  till  dinner  time.  Please  run  down  to  the  dining-room 
and  tell  them  to  bring  me  up  some  lunch." 

"  What  would  you  like  ?  " 

"  Anything  —  whatever  you  had  for  your  lunch." 
The  young  girl  was  embarrassed. 

' '  The  fact  is  ...  I  ...  I  have  not  had  any  lunch  to- 
day." 

"Why  not?"  exclaimed  Miguel,  with  a  great  show  of 
surprise.  "  Wiry,  here  it  is  almost  six  o'clock.  .  .  .  Didn't 
the}"  bring  you  anything?  See  here,  Juana,  Juana  "  (call- 
ing in  a  loud  voice),  "  call  Senorita  Julia.  .  .  ." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  for  Heaven's  sake  what 
are  you  going  to  do?"  cried  the  girl,  full  of  terror. 

' '  Nothing ;  merely  to  find  out  wiry  they  have  not 
brought  you  any  sweetmeats,  or  a  piece  of  pie,  or  what- 
ever you  take.  .  .  ." 


MAXIMINA.  37 

"  But  I  difl  not  ask  for  anything  !  " 

"  That  makes  no  difference  ;  it  is  their  business  always 
to  bring  you  whatever  you  are  used  to  having." 

"What  did  you  want,  Miguel?  "  asked  Julia,  coming  in. 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  why  it  was  that  Maximina  hasn't 
been  served  with  lunch,  and  here  it  is  almost  six  o'clock." 

Julia,  in  her  turn,  was  confused. 

"Why,  it  was  because  .  .  .  because  Maximina  doesn't 
take  lunch." 

"  What  do  you  mean  .  .  .  doesn't  take  lunch  ?"  exclaimed 
Miguel,  in  astonishment. 

"I  asked  her  about  it  the  very  first  day,  and  she  told 
me  that  she  was  not  in  the  habit  of  taking  lunch." 

Miguel  gazed  at  Maximina,  who  blushed  as  though  she 
had  been  detected  in  some  heinous  crime. 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you  that  she  does,"  he  said,  raising 
his  voice  and  turning  upon  Julia  with  stern  countenance. 
"  I  tell  you  that  she  always  is  accustomed  to  have  one, 
and  you  have  done  very  wrong,  knowing  her  disposition, 
not  to  insist  upon  it,  or  at  least  not  to  have  asked  me 
about  it." 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Miguel!  "  murmured  Maximina, 
in  a  tone  of  real  anguish. 

Julia  flushed  deeply,  and  turning  on  her  heels,  hastened 
from  the  room.  Maximina  remained  like  one  petrified. 

Her  husband,  with  a  frowning  face,  strode  up  and  down 
the  room  several  times,  and  then  followed  his  sister  and 
went  straight  to  the  dining-room,  where  he  found  her  very 
melancholy,  taking  out  some  plates.  Giving  her  a  caress, 
and  bursting  into  a  laugh,  he  said  :  — 

"  I  knew  well  that  Maximina  did  not  ask  for  lunch. 
Don't  mind  what  I  said  to  you.  I  put  her  in  this  painful 
position  to  see  if  I  could  not  cure  her  of  her  bashfulness." 

"  Then  you  had  better  be  careful !  your  gun  went  off  at 


38  MAXIMINA. 

the  wrong  end,  for  it  was  I  whom  you  hit ! "  answered 
the  young  girl,  really  vexed.  "  And  so  you  are  trying  to 
make  it  up  by  flattery  !  " 

"  Hello  !     We  aren't  jealous,  are  we?  " 

"You  would  like  to  have  me  be,  you  silly  fellow." 

"  Well,  I  confess  that  I  should,"  said  Miguel,  taking  her 
in  his  arms  and  giving  her  a  little  bite  on  the  neck.  "  It 
seems  to  me  that  jealousy  has  made  its  appearance." 

' '  Stop  !  stop  it !  you  goose  !  "  she  replied,  trying  to 
escape  from  him.  "  Can't  you  behave,  Miguel?  Let  me 
alone,  Miguel !  " 

And  after  a  violent  struggle  she  tore  herself  away  from 
her  brother's  arms,  and  ran  angrily  from  the  room,  while 
her  brother  stayed  behind,  laughing. 

In  the  days  that  followed  it  became  evident  that  Maxi- 
mina  had  won  the  good  graces  of  every  one  in  the  house. 
Nor  could  it  have  been  otherwise,  considering  her  sweet, 
sensible,  and  modest  nature.  Nevertheless,  Miguel  could 
not  help  feeling  somewhat  annoyed  that  advantage  should 
be  taken  of  this,  and  that  her  wishes  were  not  in  the  least 
consulted,  but  that  the  programme  for  the  day  —  walks 
and  drives,  theatres,  shopping  and  calls  —  should  be  laid 
out  without  even  asking  her  if  she  would  not  prefer  to 
stay  at  home. 

This  largely  hastened  his  departure,  and  he  selected  a 
very  large  and  handsome  flat  in  the  neighborhood.  It  was 
rather  beyond  his  means,  but  he  counted  on  making  up 
the  extra  amount  by  cutting  off  superfluities. 

Our  hero  found  great  amusement  in  going  with  his  wife 
to  purchase  the  furniture  that  was  needed.  The  edge  of 
his  enjoyment,  however,  was  dulled  by  the  fact  that  la 
brigadiera  and  Julia  were  very  apt  to  join  them,  and  then 
of  course  their  right  of  choice  was  abrogated,  and  even 
the  expression  of  opinion  was  denied  them.  Miguel  was 


MAXIMINA.  39 

not  a  little  disturbed  by  this,  and  therefore,  whenever  it 
was  possible,  avoided  having  his  step-mother  accompany 
them ;  but  to  his  surprise,  Maximina  did  not  even  then 
show  herself  any  better  satisfied  nor  disposed  to  give  her 
views. 

It  seemed  as  though  she  were  indifferent  to  everything, 
and  were  unfavorably  impressed  by  a  luxury  to  which  she 
had  never  been  accustomed.  From  time  to  time  she  ven- 
tured timidly  to  say  that  such  and  such  a  wardrobe  or  sofa 
was  pretty,  but  "  very  expensive  !  " 

Miguel  several  times  felt  impatient  at  her  indifference, 
but  quick  repentance  seized  him  when  he  saw  how  much 
it  affected  her  if  he  spoke  curtly  to  his  wife,  and  he 
merely  rallied  her  on  her  economical  tendencies. 

What  pleased  Maximina  most  in  these  excursions  was 
to  walk  with  her  husband  alone  through  the  streets  ;  but 
still,  in  spite  of  all  his  entreaties,  she  could  not  bring  her- 
self to  take  his  arm  in  the  daytime. 

"  Tt  would  make  me  feel  embarrassed ;  everybody  is 
looking  at  us." 

"  What  they  are  surprised  at  is,  that  I  ever  fell  in  love 
with  such  an  ugly  piece  of  humanity  !  " 

Maximina  lifted  her  big  eyes  to  him  with  a  timid  smile, 
and  looked  her  gratitude. 

"  I  am  surprised  myself  .  .  .  when  I  see  so  many  pretty 
women  all  around ;  I  can't  imagine  how  you  happened  to 
choose  me.  ..." 

"  Because  I  am  famous  for  my  bad  taste." 

"  That  must  be  it." 

Miguel  with  real  feeling  secretly  gave  her  hand  a  hearty 
squeeze. 

When  it  was  evening,  the  case  was  very  different.  Then 
she  consented  to  lean  on  his  arm,  and  did  not  try  to  hide 
the  immense  pleasure  that  it  gave  her.  But  if  they  came 


40  MAXIMINA. 

into  the  glare  of  a  shop  window,  she  would  find  some 
excuse  to  withdraw  her  arm. 

One  night  when  they  went  out,  Miguel,  either  through 
thoughtlessness  or  as  a  joke,  did  not  offer  her  his  arm. 
After  a  while  Maximina,  as  though  adopting  an  energetic 
resolution  after  long  hesitation,  suddenly  took  his  arm. 
Miguel  looked  at  her  and  smiled :  — 

' '  Hold !  who  taught  you  to  take  what  belonged  to 
you  ?  " 

The  girl  hung  her  head  and  blushed,  but  she  did  not 
let  go. 

La  brigadiera  found  her  step-son's  wife  very  much  to 
her  mind,  although  she  felt  sorry  that  he  had  stooped  so 
low  ;  thus  she  expressed  herself  to  Julia  and  her  friends  : 
she  said  nothing  to  Miguel,  but  she  did  not  leave  him  .in 
doubt  as  to  her  favorable  opinion. 

Nevertheless,  he  did  not  become  any  easier  in  mind, 
because  he  perceived  that  his  step-mother  was  beginning 
to  exercise  over  his  young  wife  the  same  absolute  and 
tyrannical  power  as  over  Julia,  only,  if  anything,  more 
openly,  owing  to  the  more  gentle  and  timid  nature  of  the 
former.  Nor  could  he  deny  that  affection  in  such  people 
as  la  brigadiera  is  always  in  direct  proportion  to  the 
degree  of  submission  shown  by  those  with  whom  they 
come  into  relationship. 

One  afternoon  when  Julia  had  just  left  their  room, 
Maximina  exclaimed  in  an  outburst  of  enthusiasm  :  — 

"  How  I  do  like  your  sister  !  " 

Miguel  gave  her  a  keen  glance  :  — 

' '  And  mamma  ?  " 

"...  I  like  her  too,"  replied  the  young  wife. 

He  asked  her  no  more  questions,  but  that  very  day  the 
son  of  the  brigadier  told  the  landlord  that  he  should  not 
be  able  to  take  the  third  floor  of  that  house,  and  chose 


MAXIMINA.  41 

another  in  the  Plaza  de  Santa  Ana.  The  excuse  that  he 
gave  his  family  for  this  change  was,  that  he  could  not 
live  so  far  away  from  the  office  of  his  paper,  now  that 
he  was  going  to  take  a  more  active  part  in  the  editing 
of  it. 

And  in  truth  he  did  not  regret  it ;  it  was  not  long  before 
he  became  convinced  of  the  wisdom  of  his  decision,  and 
congratulated  himself  upon  it.  It  happened  that  one  day 
after  he  had  been  superintending  the  arrangement  of  his 
new  quarters,  he  met  Maximina,  and  saw  that  her  eyes 
were  red  as  though  she  had  been  weeping.  His  heart 
told  him  that  something  had  gone  wrong,  and  he  inquired 
with  solicitude  :  — 

"  What  is  the  matter?     You  have  been  crying  !  " 

"  No,"  replied  the  girl,  with  a  smile.  "  I  have  just  been 
washing  my  face." 

"  Yes  ;  you  washed  }rour  face,  but  you  had  been  crying. 
Tell  me  !  tell  me  quick,  what  was  it?" 

"  Nothing." 

"  Very  well,  then,"  replied  the  young  man,  with  deter- 
mination ;  "I  will  find  out." 

And  he  did ;  Juana  told  him,  though  with  some  con- 
fusion of  detail,  what  had  taken  place. 

"Just  listen,  senorito ;  apparently  la  seftora  told  the 
senorita  several  days  ago  that  she  did  not  like  it  for  her 
to  be  so  late  about  getting  dressed,  because  there  might 
be  c:.llers.  Ever  since,  the  senorita  has  got  ready  in  good 
season,  but  to-day  she  somehow  forgot  about  it,  and  la 
senora  scolded  her.  ..." 

"  What  did  she  say?" 

"I  don't  know.  La  senorita  did  not  want  to  tell 
me  ...  but  she  cried  hard  enough." 

Miguel  went  to  his  room,  flushed  with  anger. 

"  Maximina,  get  ready  and  pack  your  trunks.  .  .  .     We 


42  MAX1MINA. 

are  going  to  leave  this  house  this  very  moment.  ...  I 
cannot  allow  any  one  to  make  you  cry." 

The  young  woman  sat  looking  at  her  husband  with  an 
expression  rather  of  fright  than  of  gratitude. 

"  But  suppose  no  one  made  me  cry.  ...  I  cried  with- 
out any  reason  for  it.  ...  I  often  do  so.  ...  You  can 
ask  my  aunt  if  that  is  not  so.  ..." 

"  Nonsense  !  we  are  going  this  very  moment." 

"  Oh,  Miguel !   for  Heaven's  sake  don't  do  so." 

"Yes;  let  us  go!  " 

Maximina  threw  herself  into  his  arms,  weeping. 

"Don't  do  this,  Miguel!  don't  do  this!  Quarrel  with 
your  mother  for  my  sake  ?  I  would  rather  die  !  " 

The  young  man's  auger  cooled  down  a  little,  and  at 
last  he  agreed  to  say  nothing  about  his  vexation,  though 
it  was  decided  that  they  should  go  on  the  following  day 
and  sleep  at  their  new  rooms. 

This  was  done ;  but  la  brigadiera  was  not  blinded  to 
the  facts,  and  she  easily  saw  through  the  motives  that  led 
Miguel  to  hasten  his  depai'ture.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
from  that  time  Maximina  in  her  eyes  lost  a  large  part  of 
her  appreciation. 

The  carpets  were  laid  in  their  apartments  in  the  Plaza 
de  la  Santa  Ana,  but  as  yet  there  was  little  furniture  ; 
only  the  dining-room,  one  dressing-room,  and  their  cham- 
ber were  in  order,  and  that  not  entirely ;  chairs  were  scat- 
tered about  over  the  rest  of  the  house,  and  this  and  that 
wardrobe  and  mirror  were  as  they  had  been  left. 

Nevertheless,  Miguel  and  Maximina  found  it  delightful. 
At  last  they  were  by  themselves  and  were  masters  of  their 
own  movements ;  they  were  intoxicated  with  the  delight 
of  their  freedom.  This  feeling  of  being  in  his  own  house 
was  fascinating  to  Miguel ;  he  looked  upon  it  as  some- 
thing new  and  extraordinary. 


MAXIMINA.  43 

Maximina  wanted  to  make  the  bed  herself,  but  alas ! 
the  mattress  was  so  heavy  that  she  could  not  turn  it. 
Seeing  that  she  was  getting  flushed  with  exertion,  Miguel 
took  hold  and  helped  her  get  it  into  shape,  laughing  heart- 
ily all  the  time,  though  he  could  not  have  told  why.  Now 
it  happened  that  our  young  couple  had  forgotten  some 
of  the  things  that  were  indispensable  for  living ;  among 
others,  the  lamps.  When  darkness  came  on,  Juana  had 
to  go  out  in  all  haste  to  buy  candles  and  a  few  candle- 
sticks, so  that  they  could  see  to  eat  their  supper. 

This  first  meal  all  to  themselves  was  delicious.  Maxi- 
mina almost  always  had  a  tremendous  appetite,  which  she 
felt  to  be  a  fault,  and  tried  to  hide  it,  so  that  she  was  apt 
to  leave  the  table,  still  hungry.  But  now,  with  only  her 
husband  present,  and  thinking  that  he  would  not  notice  it, 
she  put  on  her  plate  as  much  as  she  wanted.  When  they 
were  through,  Miguel  said :  — 

"  You  have  done  well !  you  have  eaten  much  more  than 
you  did  during  the  days  that  we  were  at  mamma's." 

Maximina  flushed  as  though  she  had  been  detected  in 
doing  something  wrong.  Instantly  perceiving  what  was 
passing  through  her  mind,  Miguel  came  to  her  aid  :  — 

"'  Come  now ;  I  see  that  you  did  not  eat  there  because 
you  were  so  timid.  .  .  .  You  must  know  that  nowadays  it 
is  considered  fashionable  to  eat  a  good  deal.  .  .  .  Besides, 
there  is  nothing  that  gives  me  so  much  pleasure  as  to  see 
any  one  have  a  good  appetite  ;  especially  if  I  am  fond  of 
that  person  !  Consequently,  if  you  want  to  give  me  a 
pleasure,  you  must  try  to  keep  it  up.  ...  As  far  as 
poor  stomachs  are  concerned,  mine  is  sufficient  in  one 
house." 

That  evening  they  determined  to  stay  at  home ;  they 
went  from  the  dining-room  to  the  library,  which  as  yet 
was  entirely  unfurnished,  since  Miguel  wished  to  take 


44  MAXIMINA. 

his  own  time  and  consult  his  own  taste  in  selecting  the 
furniture  for  it.  But  in  the  dressing-room  there  was  no 
fireplace,  while  here  there  was  one.  Juana  kindled  the 
fire  and  lighted  a  couple  of  candles.  Miguel  soon  blew 
them  out,  preferring  to  let  the  fire  alone  light  them.  He 
wanted  to  go  and  get  a  couple  of  easy-chairs  from  the 
parlor,  but  Maximina  said  :  — 

"  Get  one  for  yourself,  and  not  for  me.  .  .  .  You  will 
see  I  am  going  to  sit  down  on  the  floor,  for  I  like  it 
better." 

No  sooner  said  than  done ;  she  sat  down  graceful!}7  on 
the  carpeted  floor. 

Her  husband  looked  at  her  and  smiled. 

"  Well,  then  ;  I  am  not  going  to  get  the  chairs  at  all ;  I 
don't  want  to  do  otherwise  than  you  do." 

And  he  sat  down  by  her  side  in  front  of  the  fireplace, 
the  flames  of  which  lighted  up  their  smiling  faces.  The 
husband  took  his  wife's  hands,  those  plump  hands,  hard- 
ened but  not  injured  by  work,  and  passionately  kissed 
them  again  and  again.  The  wife  did  not  want  to  be  less 
affectionate  than  her  husband,  and  after  a  little  hesitation 
she  took  one  of  his  and  raised  it  to  her  lips.  This  little 
touch  of  innocence  delighted  Miguel,  and  he  laughed. 

"  What  makes  you  laugh?"  asked  the  girl,  looking  at 
him  in  surprise. 

"  Nothing  .  .  .  pleasure  !  " 

"  No;  you  laughed  in  a  naughty  way.  .  .  .  What  were 
you  laughing  at  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  I  tell  you.  .  .  .     It's  all  your  imagination." 

"  But  I  tell  you  that  you  were  laughing  at  me  !  Have 
I  done  anything  amiss?" 

"  What  could  you  have  done,  tonta?  I  laughed  because 
it  is  not  customary  for  ladies  to  kiss  the  hands  of  gentle- 
men !  " 


MAXIMINA.  45 

"  But  don't  you  see.  ...  I  am  not  a  lady  !  and  you 
are  my  husband  !  " 

"  You  are  right,  ..."  said  he,  kissing  her ;  .  .  .  "  you 
are  right  in  all  that  you  say.  Always  do  what  your  heart 
prompts  you  to  do,  as  just  now,  and  you  need  not  fear  of 
making  any  mistake." 

The  bluish  flames  danced  gayly  over  the  top  of  the 
coals,  rising  and  disappearing  every  instant,  as  though 
they  were  listening  to  the  words  spoken  by  the  young- 
couple,  and  then  hurrying  off  to  report  them  to  some 
gnome  of  the  fire. 

From  time  to  time  a  bit  of  burning  cinder  would  break 
off  from  the  glowing  mass,  fall  through  the  grate,  and 
come  rolling  down  at  their  feet.  Then  Maximina  would 
wait  till  it  had  cooled  a  little,  pick  it  up  in  her  fingers,  and 
toss  it  into  the  coal-hod.  The  only  sound  to  be  heard 
was  the  heavy  rumble  of  carriages  driving  to  the  theatre. 
The  conversation  between  husband  and  wife  kept  growing 
more  and  more  lively  and  free.  Maximina  gradually  lost 
her  feeling  of  timidity,  through  the  effect  of  Miguel's  con- 
stant endeavors,  and  she  summoned  up  her  courage  to 
ask  him  about  his  past  life.  The  young  man  answered 
some  of  her  questions  frankly  ;  others  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  parry.  Nevertheless,  the  young  woman  gathered  that 
her  husband  had  not  been  altogether  what  he  should  have 
been,  and  she  was  terrified. 

"Ay,  Miguel !  how  could  you  ever  have  been  audacious 
enough  to  kiss  a  married  woman  ?  Aren't  you  afraid  that 
God  will  punish  you?" 

The  young  man's  face  instantly  darkened  ;  a  deep,  ugly 
frown  furrowed  his  brow,  and  for  some  time  he  remained 
lost  in  thought. 

Maximina  looked  at  him,  with  her  eyes  opened  wide, 
and  could  not  understand  the  reason  for  such  a  change  in 
his  expression. 


46  MAXIMINA. 

At  last,  looking  at  the  fire,  he  said,  in  a  rather  hoarse 
voice  :  — 

"  If  such  a  thing  happened  in  my  case,  and  I  knew  of 
it,  I  am  certain  what  I  should  do.  .  .  .  The  first  thing 
would  be  to  turn  my  wife  out  of  doors,  whether  it  were 
night  or  day,  the  moment  I  found  it  out.  ..." 

Poor  Maximina  was  startled  at  such  an  outburst,  as 
brutal  as  it  was  unexpected,  and  she  exclaimed :  — 

"  You  would  do  well.  Heavens !  how  shameful  for  a 
woman  to  be  so  brazen !  .  .  .  How  much  better  it  would 
be  for  her  to  die  !  " 

The  frown  vanished  from  Miguel's  brow ;  he  looked 
tenderly  at  his  wife,  and  feeling  that  such  a  talk  was  both 
useless  and  out  of  place,  he  kissed  her  hand,  and  said :  — 

' '  Why  should  we  need  to  talk  about  the  evil  things  that 
are  done  in  the  world?  Fortunately,  I  have  found  a 
means  of  salvation :  it  is  this  hand  ;  I  will  cling  hold  of 
it  and  be  sure  of  being  true  and  pure  all  my  life  long." 

"  You  ought  to  ask  forgiveness  of  God." 

"  I  ask  forgiveness  of  God  and  you,  too?" 

"  As  for  me,  I  freely  grant  it." 

"  Then  God  will,  also." 

"How  can  you  know  that?  .  .  .  Ah,  how  foolish  I 
am !  I  had  forgotten  that  you  went  to  confession  only  a 
few  days  ago." 

"  Yes ;  that  was  the  way,"  said  Miguel,  who  had  like- 
wise forgotten  about  it. 

Afterwards,  they  talked  about  their  domestic  arrange- 
ment, their  furniture,  and  the  servants  that  they  needed 
to  hire. 

Maximina  ai'gued  that  Juana  and  a  cook  would  be  suf- 
ficient. Miguel  wanted  another  girl  to  do  the  sewing 
and  laundry  work.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  he  ex- 
plained to  his  wife  the  extent  of  their  resources. 


47 

"I  have  four  thousand  ditros1  income,  but  I  want  to 
let  my  sister  and  mamma  have  a  thousand,  so  that  they 
ma}-  live  decently  ;  .  .  .  with  three  thousand  duros  a  year 
we  can  get  along  first-rate." 

' '  Oh !  indeed  we  can.  .  .  .  Why  don't  you  let  your 
mamma  and  sister  have  half  ?  Just  think  ;  they  are  used 
to  luxury,  and  I  am  not.  ...  I  can  get  along  with  any 
kind  of  clothes." 

"  It  is  because  I  do  not  wish  you  to  get  along  with  any 
kind  of  clothes,  but  I  want  you  to  dress  suitably." 

"If  3^ou  only  knew  how  much  it  would  please  me  to 
have  you  give  half  to  your  sister." 

"  It  is  impossible.  .  .  .  We  must  remember  the  possibil- 
ity of  children." 

"  Still,  you  would  have  a  good  deal  left." 

"  You  don't  realize  how  much  it  costs  to  live  in 
Madrid,  dear." 

After  a  moment  of  reflection  he  added :  — 

"On  the  whole,  we  won't  do  either;  we  will  split  the 
difference.  I  will  allow  them  thirty  thousand  mites,  and 
we  will  content  ourselves  with  fifty  thousand.  What  I 
am  afraid  of  is,  that  I  shall  get  a  rascally  brother-in-law 
who  will  run  through  the  property." 

Thus  chatting,  they  spent  the  time  till  ten  o'clock,  and 
then  they  decided  to  go  to  bed.  Miguel  arose  first  and 
helped  his  wife  to  her  feet ;  they  lighted  the  candle  and 
went  to  their  room. 

Maximina,  according  to  custom,  "  blessed"  the  chamber, 
repeating  a  number  of  prayers  which  she  had  learned  in 
the  convent.  Then  they  tranquilly  went  to  sleep. 

Just  before   dawn   Miguel   thought   that   he   heard    a 

o  o 

singular  noise  at  his   side,  and  woke   up.     Instantly  he 

1  Dollars :  pesos  duros  or  pesos  fuertos  is  the  full  expression.  It 
contains  twenty  reales. 


48  MAXIMINA. 

was  aware  that  his  wife  was  kissing  him  on  the  neck, 
again  and  again,  very  gently,  evidently  with  the  idea  of 
not  disturbing  his  slumber ;  then,  in  an  instant,  he  heard 
a  sob. 

"What  is  it,  Maximina?"  he  asked,  quickly  turning 
over. 

The  girl's  only  answer  was  to  throw  her  arms  around 
him,  and  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

"But  what  is  it?  Tell  me  quick!  What  is  the  mat- 
ter?" 

Choking  with  sobs,  she  managed  to  say  :  — 

"  Oh!  I  just  had  such  bad  dreams!  ...  I  dreamed 
that  you  turned  me  out  of  the  house." 

"  Poor  little  darling  !  "  exclaimed  Miguel,  fondling  her 
tenderly  ;  "  your  mind  was  impressed  by  what  I  said  last 
evening.  ...  I  was  a  stupid  blunderer  ! " 

"  I  did  not  —  know  .  .  .  what  it  was  —  How  I  suffered, 
virgen  mia !  I  thought  I  should  die !  If  I  had  not 
waked  up  I  should  have  died !  .  .  .  But  you  are  not 
stupid  ...  I  am,  though !  " 

"  Well,  we  both  are  ;  but  calm  yourself,"  he  said,  kiss- 
ing her. 

In  a  few  moments  both  were  sound  asleep  again. 


rv. 


UNUSUAL  silence  reigned  in  the  editorial  rooms.  Noth- 
ing was  heard  except  the  scratching  of  steel  pens  on 
paper.  The  editors  were  seated  around  a  great  table  cov- 
ered with  oil-cloth ;  two  or  three,  however,  were  writing 
at  small  pine  tables,  set  in  the  corners  of  the  room. 

By  and  by  one  who  had  a  beard  just  beginning  to  turn 
gray,  raised  his  head,  and  said :  — 


MAXIMINA.  49 

"Tell  me,  Senor  de  Rivera,  was  not  the  motion  deter- 
mined upon  for  the  eighteenth  ?  " 

Miguel,  who  was  writing  at  one  of  the  special  tables, 
replied  without  lifting  his  head  :  — 

"  Senor  Marroquin,  I  can't  advise  you  too  often  to  be 
more  discreet.  Try  to  realize  that  all  our  heads  are  in 
danger,  from  the  humblest,  like  Senor  Merelo  y  Garcia's, 
up  to  the  most  stately  and  glorious,  like  our  very  worthy 
chiefs." 

The  editors  smiled.     One  of  them  inquired  :  — 

"  And  what  has  become  of  Merelo?  He  has  not  been 
here  at  all  yet." 

"He  can't  come  till  twelve,"  replied  Rivera.  "From 
ten  till  twelve  he  is  always  engaged  in  plotting  against 
institutions  in  the  Caf6  del  Siglo." 

"  I  thought  that  he  was  in  Levante." 

"  No  ;  he  goes  there  last  from  two  till  three." 

The  first  speaker  was  the  very  same  Senor  Marroquin 
of  perpetual  memory,  Miguel's  professor  in  the  Colegio  de 
la  Merced,  a  born  enemy  of  the  Supreme  Creator  and  a 
man  as  hirsute  as  a  biped  can  possibly  be.  This  was  how 
he  happened  to  be  here  :  — 

One  day  when  Miguel  was  just  finishing  his  breakfast, 
word  was  brought  to  him  that  a  gentleman  was  waiting  to 
see  him  in  the  library.  This  gentleman  was  Marroquin, 
who  in  his  appearance  resembled  a  beggar ;  he  was  so 
poor,  dirty,  and  disreputable.  When  he  saw  his  old  pupil, 
he  was  deeply  moved,  strange  as  it  ma}*  appear,  and  then 
told  him  with  genuine  eloquence  that  he  had  not  a  shil- 
ling, and  that  he  and  his  children  were  starving  to  death, 
and  at  the  end  he  begged  him  to  find  a  place  for  him  on 
the  staff  of  La,  Independencia. 

"  I  am  not  the  owner  of  the  journal,  my  dear  Marro- 
quin. The  only  thing  that  I  can  do  for  you  is  to  give  you 
a  letter  to  General  Count  de  Rios." 


50  MAXIMINA. 

He  gave  him  the  letter,  and  Marroquin  presented  him- 
self with  it  at  the  general's  house  ;  but  he  had  the  ill  for- 
tune to  go  at  a  most  inopportune  moment  when  the  gen- 
eral was  raging  up  and  down  through  the  corridors  of  his 
house,  like  one  possessed,  and  calling  up  the  repertoire  of 
objurgations  for  which  he  had  been  so  distinguished  when 
he  was  a  sergeant. 

The  reason  was  that  one  of  his  little  ones  had  drunk 
up  a  bottle  of  ink,  under  the  impression  that  it  was  Val- 
depeiias.  Whether  oaths  and  invectives  have  any  deci- 
sive influence  upon  events  or  not,  we  are  unable  to  state ; 
but  the  general  used  them  with  as  much  faith  as  though 
they  had  been  a  powerful  antidote. 

The  victim  was  leaning  his  poor  little  head  against  the 
partition,  shedding  a  copious  flood  of  tears. 

"  What  have  you  brought?"  roared  the  count,  casting  a 
wrathful  look  upon  Marroquin. 

"This  letter,"  replied  the  poor  man,  offering  it  with 
trembling  hand. 

o  • 

"  Vomit !  "  roared  the  general,  with  flaming  eyes. 

"  What?"  asked  the  professor,  timidly. 

"  Vomit,  child,  vomit !  or  I  will  shake  you  out  of  your 
skin  ! "  bellowed  the  illustrious  chief  of  Torrelodones, 
seizing  his  son  by  the  neck.  ...  "  And  what  does  the 
letter  say  ? " 

"It  is  from  Seiior  Rivera,  asking  a  position  on  La  In- 
dependencia  for  one  who  admires  you." 

' '  Can't  you  ?  Then  put  your  fingers  in  your  mouth ! 
.  .  .  Seilor  Rivera  knows  perfectly  well  that  there  is  no 
position  vacant ;  everything  is  full,  and  I  am  tormented  to 
death  with  applications.  .  .  .  Let  me  see  you  stuff  your 
fingers  in,  you  little  rascal,  or  I  will  do  it  myself  !  " 

Marroquin  acted  prudently,  by  quietly  opening  the  door 
and  slipping  out.  Afterward  Miguel  spoke  to  the  general 


MAXIMINA.  51 

at  a  more  propitious  moinent  and  succeeded  in  getting 
Marroquin  a  place  on  the  staff  at  a  monthly  salary  of  five 
hundred  reales.1 

Among  the  other  editors  of  La  Independencia  was  an 
apostate  and  liberal  priest  who  had  let  his  beard  grow 
long,  and  used  to  tell  his  friends  secrets  of  the  confes- 
sional when  he  had  been  drinking.  He  was  one  of  Mar- 
roquin's  intimates  :  both  had  the  same  grudge  against  the 
Divinity,  and  both  were  working  enthusiastically  to  free 
humanity  from  its  yoke.  Nevertheless,  one  day  he  actually 
became  ready  to  quarrel  with  the  hirsute  professor  for  turn- 
ing the  Eucharist  into  ridicule,  which  confirmed  the  former 
in  his  idea  that  "  the  priest  was  changing  his  views." 

His  name  was  Don  Cayetano. 

One  other  of  the  editors  was  a  light-haired,  handsome, 
and  bashful  young  man,  whose  seat  was  in  one  of  the  cor- 
ners of  the  room,  and  he  lifted  his  head  only  when  he 
overheard  some  brilliant  sentence,  for  such  things  aroused 
his  frantic  admiration.  His  articles  were  always  a  mosaic 
of  sonorous,  titillating  euphemisms,  and  adjectives,  which 
formed  a  large  proportion  of  G6mez  de  la  Floresta's  reper- 
tory :  he  played  with  them  like  a  juggler ;  if  any  one  de- 
sired to  make  him  happy,  he  could  find  no  easier  way  than 
by  inventing  some  metaphor  or  making  use  of  some  har- 
monious adjective.  Rivera,  who  knew  this  weakness  of 
his,  used  to  indulge  him  in  it. 

"This  afternoon,  gentlemen,  I  saw  a  woman  whose 
glance  was  as  bright  as  a  Damascus  blade." 

G6mez  de  la  Floresta's  face  would  flush  with  pleasure, 
and  he  would  look  up  with  a  smile  of  congratulation  :  — 

' '  That  means  that  it  was  a  cold  and  cutting  glance  !  " 

' '  Her  skin  was  smooth  and  brilliant  with  marble  lines  ; 
her  hair  fell  like  a  golden  cataract  upon  her  swan -like 
1  Twenty-fire  dollars. 


52  MAXIMINA. 

neck,  which  was  bound  around  with  a  diamond  necklace, 
brilliant  as  drops  of  light.  .  .  ." 

"  Drops  of  light !  How  felicitous  that  is,  Rivera  !  how 
felicitous ! " 

"  She  was  a  woman  capable  of  making  life  Oriental  for 
a  time." 

"That  is  it!  Taking  refuge  with  her  in  a  minaret, 
breathing  the  perfumes  of  Persia,  letting  her  pearly  fin- 
gers caress  our  locks,  drinking  from  her  mouth  the  nectar 
of  delight ! " 

"  I  am  delighted,  Senor  de  Floresta,  to  see  that  you  are 
consistent.  Let  us  put  a  stop  to  it,  nevertheless.  You 
have  been  having  an  attack  of  phrases  on  the  brain,  and  I 
fear  a  fatal  termination." 

The  editor  smiled  in  mortification  and  went  on  with  his 
work. 

A  slender  young  man,  with  prominent  cheek  bones, 
almond-shaped  eyes,  and  awkward  gait,  came  in,  making 
a  great  confusion,  and  humming  a  few  strains  of  a  waltz  ; 
he  went  up  to  the  table  where  Miguel  was  writing,  and 
giving  him  a  slap  on  the  shoulder,  said,  with  a  jolly 
tone  :  — 

' '  Hold,  friend  Rivera !  " 

Miguel,  without  looking  up,  replied  very  solemnly  :  — 

"  Gently,  gently,  Senor  Merelo  !  gently,  we  are  not  all 
on  a  level !  " 

The  editors  roared  with  laughter. 

Merelo,  a  little  touched,  exclaimed  :  — 

"This  Rivera  is  always  making  jokes.  .  .  .  Now, 
senor,  .  .  ."  he  went  on  to  say,  flinging  his  sombrero  on  the 
table.  ...  "I  have  just  this  moment  come  from  the  tariff 
meeting  at  the  Teatro  del  Circo.  ..." 

"Who  spoke?  .  .  .  Who  spoke?"  was  asked  from 
various  parts  of  the  room. 


MAXIMINA.  53 

"Well,  Don  Gabriel  Rodriguez,  Moret  y  Prendergast, 
Figuerola,  and  our  chief ;  but  the  one  who  made  the  best 
speech  was  Don  Felix  Bona." 

"  Man  alive  !  and  what  did  he  say  ? " 

"  Well,  he  began  by  saying  that  he  ...  the  most  insig- 
nificant of  all  that  were  there.  ..." 

' '  Senor  Merelo !  and  is  it  possible  that  you  did  not 
protest  against  such  a  statement?"  asked  Miguel  from 
his  table. 

Merelo  looked  at  him  without  seeing  the  force  of  his 
remark ;  but  finally  feeling  the  hidden  prick  of  sarcasm, 
he  made  up  a  disgusted  face  and  went  on,  affecting  to 
scorn  it :  — 

"...  That  he  had  come  there  to  speak  in  the  name  of 
Commerce  at  least.  .  .  ." 

"  But,  friend  Merelo,"  interrupted  the  ex-curate,  who 
greatly  delighted  in  poking  fun  at  the  reporter,  ..."  you 
surely  ought  to  have  protested  against  his  claim  to 
humility." 

Merelo  could  to  a  certain  point  put  up  with  Rivera's 
raillery,  since  he  recognized  his  superiority,  but  the  priest's 
went  against  his  nerves.  And  so,  full  of  wrath,  he  put  his 
hands  together  after  the  manner  of  priests  during  mass, 
and  intoned :  — 

"  Dominus  vobiscum ! " 

A  general  laugh  went  round  among  the  editors.  The 
cur£  flushed  up  to  his  ears,  and,  greatly  disgusted,  tried  to 
shoot  the  same  jest  again,  only  winging  it  with  a  sharper 
point ;  but  the  reporter,  who  was  not  remarkable  for  his 
ingenuity,  kept  replying  :  — 

"Dominus  vobiscum!"  And  his  intonation  was  so 
comical  and  clerical  that  the  newspaper  men  had  to  hold 
their  sides  with  laughter. 

The  priest  finally  became  so  irritated  that  instead  of  jests 


54  MAXIMINA. 

he  actual!}*  heaped  insults  on  him.  One  of  them  was  so 
outrageous  and  shameful  that  the  latter  felt  called  upon 
to  raise  his  hand  and  give  the  priest  a  tremendous  slap. 

A  scene  of  confusion  and  tumult  arose  "in  the  office, 
lasting  several  moments.  A  number  of  men  laid  hold  of 
Don  Cayetano,  who,  with  the  exchange  scissors  in  his 
hand,  declared  in  an  angry  voice  his  intention  of  ripping 
Merelo  open. 

The  latter,  who  did  not  care  a  rap  for  such  a  threat, 
roared  to  his  companions  to  let  him  go :  he  would  not  put 
up  with  such  blackguard  language  from  any  one.  But 
his  friends  knew  well  that  this  was  sheer  rhetoric,  and 
they  clung  to  him  all  the  more  watchfully. 

At  last  they  succeeded  in  calming  down  the  angry  dis- 
putants, and  the  storm  was  followed  by  a  calm  that  lasted 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  during  which  all  silently  gave 
themselves  up  to  their  writing.  At  last  Miguel  looked  up 
and  asked :  — 

"  See  here,  Senor  Merelo,  when  do  you  expect  to  go  to 
Rome?" 

"  To  Rome?  .  .  .     What  for?  " 

"  To  obtain  pardon  for  the  sin  of  having  laid  hands  on 
a  sacred  person.  You  can't  get  absolution  here." 

A  new  shout  of  laughter  ran  through  the  office.  The 
priest,  in  a  fury,  flung  down  his  pen,  took  his  hat,  and  left 
the  room. 

The  editors  of  La  Independencia  lost  much  time  in  such 
skirmishes  of  wit,  and  our  friend  Rivera  was  almost 
always  at  the  bottom  of  them. 

Beside  the  men  already  mentioned,  there  were  three  or 
four  of  less  distinction,  and  a  throng  of  occasional  con- 
tributors who  came  anxiously  every  night  to  bring  the 
editor-in-chief  their  offering  of  articles,  which,  for  the 
most  part,  were  rejected. 


MAXIMINA.  55 

• 

Among  all  these,  most  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
young  man,  not  as  yet  regularly  attached  to  the  staff, 
hideous,  rickety,  but  well  dressed,  who  was  accustomed 
to  write  papers  on  literary  criticism,  always  signed  with 
the  pseudonym  Rosa,  de  t£,  or  Tea  Rose.  He  was  very 
severe  on  authors,  and  always  felt  it  his  duty  to  give  them 
sound  advice  about  the  art  which  they  practised.  Time 
and  again  he  assured  them  that  this  thing  was  not  human, 
that  was  not  like  life,  and  the  other  was  not  in  good  form. 
He  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  life,  which,  in  his  opin- 
ion, no  author  knew  anything  about,  nor  about  women 
either.  Onby  Rosa  de  t6  had  a  correct  notion  of  the  world 
and  of  woman's  heart. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  his  criticisms,  he  endeav- 
ored to  put  the  author  in  the  prisoner's  box,  while  he  him- 
self mounted  the  judge's  bench,  wherefrom  he  would  ask 
questions,  administer  blame,  lay  down  the  law,  and  make 
sarcastic  and  humorous  flings. 

' '  Where  did  Don  Fulano  l  ever  know  of  a  young  girl 
exclaiming,  '  ah ! '  when  she  had  the  tooth-ache  ?  .  .  .  It 
is  evident  that  Don  Fulano  has  not  often  set  foot  in  the 
salons  of  the  aristocracy !  .  .  .  Life,  Don  Fulano,  is  not 
as  you  paint  it ;  it  is  necessary  to  have  lived  within  the 
charmed  circle  of  society  if  one  aspire  to  give  a  correct 
picture  of  it.  ...  What  we  fail  to  find  in  Don  Fulano's 
work  is  the  plot.  .  .  .  And  the  plot,  Don  Fulano,  the 
plot?  .  .  .  What  kind  of  a  character  is  the  hero  of  his 
work  ?  In  one  chapter  he  says  that  he  has  a  tremendous 
appetite,  and  liked  nothing  better  than  to  eat  a  box  of 
Nantes  sardines,  and  a  few  chapters  further  on  he  declares 
that  he  detests  sardines !  What  kind  of  logic  is  that  ? 
Characters  in  art  must  be  clearly  defined,  logical,  not  a 
patchwork.  Don  Fulano's  protagonista  here  alone  in  the 
1  Equivalent  to  Mr.  Snch-an-one. 


56  MAXIMINA. 

• 

course  of  the  work,  according  to  our  count,  makes  nine- 
teen resolutions.  Does  Don  Fulano  think  that  nineteen 
resolutions  are  sufficient  for  a  hero?  Our  opinion  would 
be  that  it  was  not  enough  for  even  a  subordinate  charac- 
ter. .  .  .  And  so  there  is  no  way  of  preventing  the  char- 
acter from  being  bungling,  colorless,  lacking  in  life  and 
energy.  Energy  in  the  characters  of  novels  and  dramas  I 
cannot  weary  of  recommending  to  our  authors.  .  .  .  Be- 
sides, you  ought  to  endeavor,  Don  Fulano,  to  be  more 
original.  That  remark  made  by  Richard  to  the  countess 
in  the  sixth  chapter,  where  he  says,  .  .  .  '  Seiiora,  I  shall 
never  again  set  foot  in  this  house,'  we  have  read  before  in 
Walter  Scott." 

This  young  man  had  greatly  pleased  Miguel,  who 
always  called  him  the  priest  (sacerdote},  because  he  had 
many  times  in  his  articles  made  use  of  the  expression 
"  the  priesthood  of  criticism." 

Rosa  de  U,  so  bold  and  scornful  in  his  treatment  of  poets 
and  novelists,  was  a  very  Job  in  the  patience  with  which  he 
bore  the  raillery  of  Miguel  and  the  other  editors. 

One  day,  however,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  write  a  bit- 
ing review  of  a  poet  who  was  one  of  Rivera's  friends. 
Rivera  was  angry,  and  called  him  an  ignoramus  and  a 
stupid  lout  to  his  face,  and  the  poor  Rosa  could  not  get 
up  to  defend  himself.  When  Mendoza  came,  Miguel, 
still  vexed,  said  to  him  :  — 

"  Now,  see  here,  Perico,  why  do  you  allow  this  stupid 
baby  to  write  literary  reviews,  and  all  the  time  make  the 
paper  ridiculous  ?  " 

Mendoza,  as  usual;  made  no  answer.  But  Miguel 
insisted. 

"  I  want  you  to  explain  to  me  why  it  is.  ..." 

"  We  don't  have  to  pay  anything  for  his  articles." 
replied  the  other,  in  a  low  voice. 


MAXIM1NA.  57 

"  Then  they  are  very  dear  !  " 

Although  Miguel  did  not  care  much  for  politics,  he 
worked  diligently  on  the  paper.  The  revolutionary  atmos- 
phere had  sufficiently  condensed  itself,  and  no  }"oung  man 
could  escape  its  feverish  and  disturbing  influence. 

The  Conde  de  Rfos  was  at  last  banished  to  the  Balearic 
Islands.  Mendoza  suddenly  disappeared  from  Madrid, 
leaving  a  letter  to  his  friend  Miguel,  telling  him  that  he 
had  made  his  escape  because  he  had  been  informed  that 
the  police  were  going  to  arrest  him,  and  asking  him  to 
take  charge  of  the  paper. 

Such  a  letter  as  that  caused  the  brigadier's  son  no  little 
amusement,  because  he  was  convinced  that  the  adminis- 
tration had  no  thought  of  troubling  the  poor  Brutandor. 

Nevertheless,  he  actually  took  the  chief  editorship  of 
La  Independencia,  the  nominal  direction  of  it  being,  as 
always  in  such  calamitous  times  of  persecution,  under  the 
name  of  a  silent  partner. 

And,  in  order  satisfactorily  to  fulfil  his  trust,  he  be- 
gan to  attend  the  so-called  drculos  politicos,  and  above 
all  the  committee-room  of  the  Congress  of  Deputies, 
which  was  then,  is  now,  and  ever  will  be,  probably,  the 
workshop  where  the  happiness  of  the  country  is  devised. 
So  when  he  went  there  for  the  first  time,  he  could  not 
overcome  a  feeling  of  respect  and  veneration. 

At  the  sight  of  the  stir  and  agitation  which  reigned 
there,  our  hero  could  not  help  comparing  that  chamber 
and  the  corridors  around  it  to  a  great  factory. 

A  host  of  laborers,  in  high  hats,  were  going  and  com- 
ing, entering  and  bowing,  and  elbowing  each  other ;  their 
faces  bore  the  imprint  of  the  deep  cares  that  agitated 
them.  Some  were  sitting  in  front  of  desks  and  fever- 
ishly writing  letters  and  more  letters ;  from  time  to  time 
they  would  pass  their  hands  over  their  foreheads  and 


58  MAXIMINA. 

draw  a  sigh  of  weariness,  and,  perhaps,  of  pain  at  find- 
ing themselves  obliged,  on  the  altars  of  the  country's 
interest,  to  deny  a  meeting  with  some  influential  elector 
who  did  not  deserve  such  treatment. 

Others  would  come  out  of  the  chamber  of  sessions  and 
sit  down  on  a  sofa  to  think  over  the  speech  which  they 
had  just  heard,  or  would  join  some  group  of  members 
warmly  discussing  some  question  which,  owing  to  a 
modesty  that  did  them  honor,  they  had  not  cared  to  take 
part  in  during  the  session. 

Others  would  cluster  around  the  entrance  and  anx- 
iously wait  for  some  minister  to  pass,  so  as  to  recom- 
mend to  his  attention  some  matter  of  general  interest  to 
his  family. 

All  this  reminded  Miguel  of  the  bustle,  the  noise,  and 
the  tremendous  activity  that  he  had  witnessed  in  an  iron 
foundry  at  Vizcaya.  There  as  well  as  here  men  were 
moving  in  opposite  directions,  each  one  attending  to  his 
task ;  they  were  a  little  less  respectably  dressed,  and 
their  necks  and  breasts  were  somewhat  more  tanned  than 
was  the  case  with  the  representatives  of  their  country ; 
but  this  was  because  there  was  rather  more  heat  in  the 
foundry  than  in  the  saldn  de  confer encias.  In  place  of 
letters  and  other  documents,  the  men  there  were  lugging 
bars  of  red-hot  iron  in  their  hands,  and  they  passed  them 
on  from  one  to  the  other  just  as  the  deputies  passed  on 
their  papers. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  it  was  cool  in  the  saldn 
de  conferencias.  In  each  one  of  its  four  angles  there 
was  a  great  fireplace  where  were  burning  ancient  and 
well-dried  logs,  which  the  thoughtful  country  provides  her 
representatives  lest  they  should  freeze.  Besides,  there 
are  furnaces  in  the  cellar  which  send  up  columns  of  hot 
air  through  the  open  registers ;  the  carpets,  the  curtains, 


MAXIMINA.  59 

the  ventilators,  and  the  screens  also  cause  the  tempera- 
ture to  be  neither  cold  nor  hot  beyond  endurance. 

Unquestionably  the  system  of  heating  is  better  under- 
stood in  the  sal6n  de  conferencias  than  in  the  foundry  at 
Vizcaya. 

Along  its  walls  are  large  and  comfortable  sofas  where 
the  deputies  and  the  newspaper  men,  who  help  them  in 
the  laborious  task  of  saving  the  country,  can  rest  for  a 
few  moments.  And  if  they  wish  to  refresh  or  restore 
their  failing  strength,  there  is,  also,  a  lunch-room  where 
the  nation  furnishes  its  managers,  gratis,  with  water  and 
azucarillos1  in  great  abundance,  and  where,  for  a  moderate 
price,  they  can  get  ham,  turkey,  pies,  sherry,  and  Manza- 
nilla,  and  other  foods  and  drinks. 

Intelligent  and  zealous  waiters,  as  soon  as  they  come 
in,  relieve  them  of  their  overcoats,  which  they  guard  with 
care,  and  return  after  they  have  lunched,  lest  in  any  way 
they  should  catch  cold. 

Miguel  was  greatly  impressed,  when  he  first  attended  a 
meeting  of  the  Congress,  by  the  humility  and  deep  re- 
spect shown  by  a  waiter  taking  a  fur  overcoat  from  a 
gentleman  with  a  long  white  goatee,  who  allowed  him  to 
do  so,  with  a  solemn  and  peevish  expression,  moving  his 
head  from  one  side  to  the  other  as  though  he  could  not 
hold  it  up  with  the  weight  of  thoughts  that  filled  it. 

Afterwards  he  chanced  to  see  this  same  gentleman  in 
the  lunch-room,  taking  a  few  slices  of  scalloped  tongue  ; 
he  had  the  same  thoughtful,  reserved,  imposing  air. 

He  was  glad  to  know  that  his  name  was  Seiior  Tara- 
billa,  who  had  been  governor  of  several  of  the  provinces, 
superior  honorary  chief  of  the  civil  administration,  and 
the  holder  of  various  other  distinguished  offices  in  Madrid 
and  elsewhere.  He  had  also  been  secretary  of  the  commit- 
1  Sweetmeats  made  of  flour,  sugar,  and  rose-water. 


60  MAXIMINA. 

tee  of  acts  in  the  Congress,  where  once  he  had  draughted  a 
private  bill  which  had  never  reached  discussion. 

Our  hero  enjoyed  one  of  the  purest  satisfactions  of  his 
life  in  becoming  acquainted  with  a  personage  of  so  great 
importance  in  politics,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  on 
and  gradually  know  them  all  in  the  same  way.  He  used  to 
go  round  from  group  to  group,  listening  attentively  to  the 
discussions  that  were  taking  place  among  the  most  distin- 
guished leaders  of  men.  It  was  his  duty  to  acquaint  him- 
self with  their  opinions  and  plans,  so  as  to  conduct  his 
•journal  dexterously.  He  was  surprised  by  some  of 
these  private  debates,  but  especially  at  one  which  he 
overheard  a  few  days  after  he  entered  the  saldn  de  confe- 
rendas. 

In  the  centre  of  a  large  and  crowded  group  there  was  a 
lively  discussion  going  on  between  a  minister  and  one  of 
the  leaders  of  the  opposition  concerning  a  certain  article 
in  the  constitution  of  1845,  in  which  punishment  by  prop- 
erty confiscation  is  prohibited. 

The  minister  held  that  this  prohibition  was  not  abso- 
lute ;  that  in  the  article  were  shown  the  causes  for  which 
a  citizen  could  be  deprived  of  his  property.  The  leader  of 
the  opposition  screamed  like  one  possessed,  arguing  that 
such  was  not  the  case ;  that  there  were  no  such  causes, 
and  no  such  things.  Both  grew  very  red  in  the  face,  and 
almost  reached  the  point  of  getting  actually  angry  with 
each  other.  Finally  the  minister  asked  energetically  :  — 

"  Now  we  will  see,  Senor  M ;  have  you  ever  read 

the  constitution  of  1845  ?  " 

"No,  sir,  I  have  not  read  it,  nor  have  I  any  desire  to  !  " 

said  Senor  M ,  in  fury.  ...  "  Have  you  read  it 

yourself?" 

"  No ;  but  though  I  have  not  read  it,"  replied  the  min- 
ister, putting  on  a  bold  face,  "I  know  that  in  the  first 


MAXIMINA.  61 

section  are  indicated  the  causes  which  permit  confiscation. 

.  .  .  And  if  I  have  not,  here  is  Senor  R ,  who  was  a 

minister  at  that  time,  and  can  tell  us." 

Senor  R was  an  old  gentleman,  smoothly  shaven  ; 

and  when  he  heard  his  name  called,  and  perceived  that 
all  eyes  were  turned  upon  him,  with  a  smile  that  was  half 
malicious  and  half  abashed,  he  said :  — 

"The  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  I  myself  cannot  re- 
member having  read  it  through  !  " 

At  first  these  discussions  and  his  constantly  growing 
acquaintance  with  the  great  engine  of  politics  entranced 
him ;  but  afterwards,  when  he  came  to  know  by  sight,  and 
even  have  the  honor  of  a  personal  acquaintance  with 
almost  all  of  the  grandees  of  the  kingdom,  and  had 
learned  from  their  lips  not  a  few  of  the  secrets  of  govern- 
ing nations,  he  had  the  sentiment  to  comprehend  that  he 
was  beginning  to  weaiy  of  it  all ;  most  evenings  he  pre- 
ferred to  take  a  book  of  Shakspere,  Goethe,  Hegel,  or 
Spinoza,  and  sit  down  by  his  wife's  side,  and  read  while 
she  sewed  or  did  her  embroidery,  rather  than  wander  up 
and  down  the  corridors  of  Congress,  and  listen  to  the  dis- 
sertations of  Senor  Tarabilla  and  other  distinguished 
men. 

And  I  say  that  it  was  sentiment  that  taught  him  this ; 
because  an  inner  voice  whispered  to  him  that  this  was  not 
the  way  to  attain  fortune  and  celebrity,  nay,  he  should 
try  to  imitate  step  by  step  the  career  of  Senor  Tarabilla  ; 
but  though  that  was  the  better  course,  he  nevertheless 
determined  to  follow  the  worse,  because  human  nature  is 
weak,  and  often  hurled  to  destruction  by  its  passions. 
Even  on  those  afternoons  when  he  deigned  to  go  up  to 
the  Congress,  instead  of  joining  the  groups,  taking  up 
with  the  deputies,  flattering  the  ministers,  and  offering 
his  opinions  in  regard  to  whatever  question  might  arise, 


62  MAXIMINA. 

letting  himself  be  carried  away  by  melancholy  (perhaps 
by  the  longing  for  his  wife's  company,  his  armchair,  or 
his  Shakspere) ,  he  would  go  and  sit  down  alone  on  some 
sofa,  and  there  give  himself  up  to  his  thoughts  or  his 
dreams,  and  try  to  delude  himself  into  the  idea  that  he 
was  fulfilling  his  duty. 

He  would  look  with  distracted  eyes  at  the  throng  of 
deputies,  journalists  and  politicians  tagging  at  their 
heels,  and  their  feverish  activity,  their  agitation,  and 
their  eagerness  had  not  the  slightest  power*  to  inspire 
the  lazy  fellow  with  the  noble  desire  of  laboring  for  his 
country,  and  contributing  in  some  way  to  its  happiness. 

At  times,  not  having  anything  to  think  about,  he  would 
amuse  himself  in  seeking  for  resemblances  between  the 
men  whom  he  saw  and  those  whom  he  had  known 
before.  His  attention  was  particularly  attracted  by  a 
deputy,  a  custom-house  director,  who  bore  the  closest 
resemblance  to  a  certain  fisherman  of  Rodillero,  named 
Taliu.  He  had  known  Talin  under  particularly  sad  cir- 
cumstances. One  of  his  sous  had  died  of  measles,  and 
he  had  not  a  shilling  in  the  house  with  which  to  bury  him  ; 
the  poor  man  had  to  carry  him  in  his  arms  to  the  ceme- 
tery, and  dig  the  grave  himself.  A  few  months  after- 
ward Talin  was  lost  in  a  famous  gale  which  has  figured  in 
more  than  one  novel.  And  how  closely  this  deputy  re- 
sembled Talin  !  They  were  as  like  as  two  eggs. 

There  was  another  whose  face  was  decorated  with  big 
scars  and  cicatrices,  and  whose  eyebrows  and  eyelashes 
had  been  lost  by  reason  of  some  secret  malady  which 
obliged  him  to  go  every  year  to  Archena ;  this  man 
struck  him  as  pailicularly  like '  a  poor  miner  whom  he 
had  known  at  Langreo.  The  latter  worked  in  the  gal- 
leries of  the  mines,  spending  the  livelong  day  in  a  narrow 
hole  which  he  himself  had  laboriously  to  excavate.  One 


MAXIMINA.  63 

day  the  gas  took  fire  and  burned  his  face  and  hands  hor- 
ribly. After  that  he  was  obliged  to  beg. 

When  he  was  weary  of  these  exercises  of  imagination, 
he  would  call  Merelo  y  Garcia,  and  make  him  sit  by  his 
side,  and  delight  in  hearing  him  relate  with  characteristic 
vehemence  all  the  gossip  from  behind  the  scenes,,  if  it  is 
not  irreverent  to  compare  the  lobbies  of  Congress  with 
the  flies  of  a  theatre. 

Merelo  was  at  that  time  the  phoenix  of  Madrid  noti- 
cieros  and  the  envy  of  the  other  newspaper  proprietors, 
who  had  more  than  once  made  him  overtures  of  increased 
salary  to  get  him  away  from  the  Conde  de  Rios ;  but 
Merelo,  with  fidelit}1  that  could  not  be  too  highly  praised 
(and  therefore  he  did  not  cease  to  praise  it),  had  re- 
mained firm  in  his  resistance  to  all  temptations. 

There  was  no  one  his  equal  in  covering  in  a  moment 
a  dozen  groups,  in  finding  out  what  they  were  talking 
about,  what  they  had  been  talking  about,  and  what  they 
were  going  to  talk  about,  in  gliding  between  the  deputies' 
feet  and  discovering  the  most  inviolate  and  carefully 
guarded  secrets  of  politics,  in  worrying  foreign  envoys 
with  questions,  audaciously  approaching  the  ministers,  in 
tormenting  the  subordinates,  and  in  "  cutting  out  of  every 
one  whatever  he  had  in  his  body,"  sometimes  by  suavity, 
at  others  by  force. 

Really  Merelo  y  Garcia  was  in  Spain  the  pioneer  of  that 
pleiad  of  young  reporters  who,  at  the  present  da}-,  make 
our  press  so  illustrious  ;  he  it  was  who  draughted  the  first 
lineaments  of  bills  in  the  forms  of  questions  and  answers, 
though  they  afterward  appeared  so  much  changed.  Still, 
in  Merelo's  time,  they  were  as  yet,  as  it  were,  in  swad- 
dling clothes,  and  Chinese  and  Moorish  ambassadors  did 
not  answer  in  such  a  precise  and  categorical  manner  as 
they  do  now,  when  the  reporters  ask  them,  for  example : 


64  MAXIMINA. 

' '  How  long  were  you  on  your  journey  ?  Were  you  able 
to  get  any  sleep?"  etc.,  etc. 

Merelo  was  thus  better  known  than  the  postman  in  all 
official  centres  and  more  feared  than  the  cholera.  When 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  find  out  about  anything,  neither 
sour  faces  nor  rude  replies  could  daunt  him ;  he  was  proof 
against  all  rebuffs.  It  was  told  of  him  that  one  time 
when  the  Minister  of  State  had  just  come  out  from  a 
very  important  diplomatic  meeting,  Merelo  met  him  with 
the  question :  — 

"  How  now,  Senor  F ?  is  the  matter  of  the  treaty 

settled  or  not?" 

The  minister  looked  at  him  with  curiosity,  and  asked :  — 

"  What  journal  are  you  editor  of?  " 

"  Of  La  Independencia"  replied  Merelo,  with  a  genial 
smile. 

"  I  might  have  known  it  by  the  impudence  which  you 
show,"  retorted  the  minister  coolly,  turning  on  his  heel. 

The  General  Count  de  Rios  used  to  tell  at  his  recep- 
tions, with  the  tears  of  delight,  of  one  famous  exploit 
which  Merelo's  especial  gifts  had  allowed  him  to  accom- 
plish. 

He  was  at  his  favorite  post  of  observation,  like  a 
watch-dog,  at  one  of  the  doors  of  the  sal6n  de  conferen- 
cias ;  he  had  been  for  some  time  on  the  scent  for  news, 
when  he  happened  to  see  a  page  carry  a  telegram  to  the 
President  of  the  Council  of  Ministers.  The  President 
opened  it,  read  it  carefully,  and  crumpled  it  in  his  hands 
with  a  frown,  and  then  walked  along  with  slow  step  to 
the  lobby.  Merelo  was  all  alive,  and  followed  him  with 
ears  alert,  with  eager  eyes,  and  quivering  nostrils.  The 
President  went  to  the  wash-room.  Merelo  waited  pa- 
tiently. The  President  came  out.  Then  Merelo's  brain 
underwent  a  sudden  and  terrible  revolution  ;  he  hesitated 


MAX1MINA.  65 

a  moment  whether  or  not  to  follow  him  back  ;  but  at  that 
instant  he  was  inspired  by  one  of  those  thoughts  that 
illuminate  the  records  of  journalism ;  instead  of  following 
his  quarry,  he  darted  like  a  flash  into  the  wash-room, 
looked,  and  hunted,  and  hunted.  ...  At  last,  in  an 
obscure  spot,  he  found  a  bit  of  crumpled  blue  paper.  He 
had  no  hesitation  in  pulling  it  out. 

That  evening  La  Independencia  printed  the  follow- 
ing :  — 

"  It  seems  that  the  preconization  of  the  bishop-elect  of 

Malaga,  Seiior  N ,  first  cousin  of  the  President  of  the 

Council  of  Ministers,  meets  with  opposition  in  Rome." 

The  President  read  this  notice  as  he  was  going  to  bed, 
and  he  was  greatly  surprised,  as  he  afterwards  confessed 
to  his  friends,  because  the  report  of  the  Pope's  opposition 
to  his  cousin's  confirmation  had  been  telegraphed  to  him 
by  the  ambassador.  Racking  his  memory,  he  recalled  the 
fact  that  that  afternoon,  after  reading  the  telegram,  he 
had  been  followed  along  the  lobby  of  Congress  by  a 
shadow,  and  that  the  shadow  was  waiting  when  he  had 
come  out  of  the  wash-room.  The  President  instantly 
guessed  how  the  cat  was  let  out  of  the  bag,  and  burst  into 
a  roar  of  laughter.  "That  was  a  good  joke,"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  put  out  the  light. 

V. 

UTRILLA  had  gone  to  bed,  feverish  and  nervous.  And  it 
was  with  very  good  reason.  For  the  second  time  he  had 
failed  to  pass  his  examination  ;  he  was  as  good  as  expelled 
from  the  Military  Academy.1 

His  prescient  heart  had  told  him  before  the  examina- 
tion:  "  Jacobo,  they  will  certainly  ask  you  about  the 
1  Academia  de  Estado  Mayor. 


66  MAXIMINA. 

pendulum,  arid  that  is  the  very  thing  in  which  you  are 
weakest ! " 

And  indeed  he  had  scarcely  taken  his  seat  before  the 
tribunal,  when,  zas!  the  professor  of  physics  said  to  him 
in  a  wheedling  accent :  — 

*•'  Senor  Utrilla,  have  the  goodness  to  explain  for  us  the 
theory  of  the  pendulum." 

The  cadet,  rather  pale,  arose  and  looked  with  wild  eyes 
at  the  professor's  desk.  .  .  .  The  algebra  professor  smiled 
ironically,  as  though  he  divined  his  confusion.  Why  had 
that  old  man  taken  such  a  dislike  to  him?  Utrilla  could 
not  explain  it  otherwise  than  by  envy  ;  the  professor  had 
seen  him  at  the  theatre  with  Julita  under  his  protection. 
He  arose,  and  with  uncertain  steps  went  to  the  slaughter ; 
that  is,  to  the  blackboard.  With  trembling  hand  he  made 
a  few  ciphers,  and  at  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes  drew  a 
deep  sigh  of  relief,  and  returned  to  his  seat.  The  pro- 
fessor of  physics  shook  his  head  several  times  :  — 

"  That  is  wrong,  Senor  Utrilla ;  that  is  wrong." 

The  cadet  sponged  out  the  figures  that  he  made,  and 
began  the  operation  a  second  time.  A  second  quarter  of 
an  hour,  a  second  sigh  of  relief ;  more  negative  signs  on 
the  part  of  the  professor. 

"  That  is  just  as  wrong,  Senor  Utrilla." 

And  Utrilla  rubbed  out  his  work  again,  and  for  the 
third  time  began  to  cipher ;  but  now  he  was  weak,  con- 
fused, livid,  persuaded  that  death  was  at  hand. 

"  Still  entirely  wrong,  Sefior  Utrilla,"  exclaimed  the 
professor,  in  a  tone  of  compassion. 

The  algebra  man  smiled  mephistopheleanly,  and  said, 
with  an  affected  accent  in  pure  Andalusian  :  — 

"  There  be  three  ways  of  spellin'  proctor  .  .  .  ^aroctor, 
^erector,  ^oroctor  !  "  1 

1  De  tre  manera  lo  s4  6si .  .  .  percurador,  porcurador,  precurador. 


MAXIMINA.  67 

The  gentlemen  of  the  tribunal  covered  their  eyes  with 
their  hands  to  hide  their  amusement.  This  sneer  cut  our 
cadet  to  the  heart ;  he  changed  color  several  times  in  the 
course  of  a  few  moments. 

"  That  will  do  ;  you  are  dismissed,"  said  the  professor 
of  physics,  trying  in  vain  to  put  on  a  sober  face. 

The  son  of  Mars  retired,  stumbling  over  everything  in 
his  way,  as  though  he  were  blind ;  his  neck  was  swollen, 
his  Adam's  apple  preternaturally  prominent,  his  heart 
boiling  over  with  indignation  and  wrath. 

As  soon  as  he  reached  home,  by  the  advice  of  the 
housekeeper  he  fainted  away.  His  father,  on  learning 
the  cause,  instead  of  helping  him,  was  furious,  and  ex- 
claimed :  — 

"You  might  better  die,  you  great  good-for-nothing! 
This  fellow  has  used  up  more  of  my  patience  and  money 
than  he  is  worth  !  " 

Afterwards  came  the  following  family  scene.  When 
he  recovered  from  his  fainting  fit,  he  was  informed  that 
his  father  and  brother  were  waiting  for  him  in  the  office 
on  the  first  floor.  Here  our  young  soldier  had  to  endure 
a  new  and  grievous  humiliation.  His  father  attacked  him 
in  a  rage,  called  him  an  imbecile  and  a  blunderbuss,  and 
showed  him  the  book  in  which  he  had  kept  account  of  his 
expenses. 

"For  so  many  months  of  tutoring  in  mathematics,  so 
much ;  drawing  lessons,  so  much ;  dress  uniform,  so 
much  ;  every  day  ditto,  so  much,"  etc.,  etc. 

While  his  senor  padre  was  lecturing  him  in  an  unnatu- 
rally high  voice  on  this  subject,  his  older  brother  was 
gnashing  his  teeth  like  one  in  torment ;  from  time  to  time 
he  gave  utterance  to  pitiful  groans,  as  though  some  demon 
had  come  that  very  moment  to  throw  more  coal  in  the 
furnace  where  they  were  roasting  him.  At  last,  when  he 


68  MAXIMINA. 

succeeded  iu  getting  his  breath,  he  exclaimed  in  a  low 
voice :  — 

"  The  idea  of  a  man  having  to  humiliate  himself  from 
morning  till  night  engaged  in  handling  fat  and  lard  in 
order  that  what  he  earns  should  be  wasted  by  a  fellow 
like  this,  in  folderols  and  glasses  of  cognac !  " 

"  It  shall  not  be  so  any  longer,  Rafael  !  I  swear  it  shall 
not!"  roared  the  father.  "After  to-da}- this  lazybones 
shall  help  you  in  the  factory.  There  he  will  have  a  chance 
to  learn  how  to  earn  his  bread  and  butter  !  " 

The  ex-cadet  was  annihilated.  He,  a  gentleman  cadet 
in  the  most  aristocratic  corps  of  the  army,  to  be  suddenly 
transferred  into  the  service  of  a  candle  factory !  This 
for  Utrilla  was  the  height  of  degradation.  He  said  noth- 
ing for  a  few  moments :  at  last  he  spoke  solemnly  and 
deliberately  in  his  deep  bass  :  — 

"  If  it  has  come  to  this,  that  my  dignity  must  be  lowered 
by  making  me  a  factory  foreman,  it  would  be  better  that 
I  should  be  taken  out  into  the  field  and  shot  down  with 
half  a  dozen  bullets  !  " 

' '  Knocked  down  with  half  a  dozen  sticks  ;  that's  what 
you  ought  to  have  done  to  you,  you  good-for-nothing 
idler !  Just  wait !  just  wait !  " 

And  the  worthy  manufacturer  glanced  angrily  around 
the  room,  and  seeing  a  reed  cane  leaning  against  the  wall, 
he  sprang  to  get  it.  But  Achilles,  he  of  the  winged  feet, 
had  already  darted  out  of  the  room,  and  in  half  a  dozen 
leaps  had  reached  his  chamber. 

Once  across  the  threshold,  he  bolted  the  door  with  mar- 
vellous dexterity,  and  after  listening  breathlessly  with  his 
ear  at  the  keyhole,  in  order  to  make  sure  that  Peleus  had 
not  passed  the  middle  of  the  corridor,  he  felt  safe  to  give 
himself  up  to  meditation. 

He  began  to  promenade  up  and  down,  across  the  room, 


MAXIMINA.  69 

from  corner  to  corner,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  his 
head  sunk  and  his  shoulders  lifted,  thinking  seriously 
how  .  .  . 

But  his  sword  was  constantly  thumping  against  the 
furniture  and  getting  between  his  legs,  and  making  it 
hard  for  him  to  walk  ;  he  took  it  off  and  flung  it  in  mili- 
tary disgust  on  the  sofa. 

He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  two  courses  lay  before 
him  :  one  was  to  make  his  escape  from  the  house,  enlist 
in  the  army,  and  in  this  way  fulfil  the  only  vocation  for 
which  he  felt  any  call ;  the  other  was  to  enter  the  factory 
and  woi'k  there  like  his  brother.  It  was  necessary  to  make 
a  decisive  resolution,  as  became  his  inflexible  and  energetic 
character  ;  and  in  very  truth  our  ex-cadet,  with  an  energy 
that  has  few  examples  in  this  degenerate  epoch,  promptly 
decided  to  work  in  the  candle  factory. 

This  important  point  having  been  settled,  he  became 
calmer,  and  could  stop  long  enough  to  roll  and  smoke 
a  cigarette. 

One  other  thing,  however,  remained  to  be  done,  and 
this  was  one  of  great  importance :  to  wipe  out  the  insult 
which  the  algebra  professor  had  given  him  during  the  ex- 
amination. Utrilla  argued  in  this  way  :  — 

If  he  remained  in  the  army,  the  affront  would  not 
have  been  serious,  because,  of  course,  discipline  forbids 
the  inferior  to  demand  satisfaction  for  insults  from  a 
superior ;  but  once  out  of  the  corps  and  transformed  into 
a  civilian,  the  matter  put  on  a  different  aspect — "  Cer- 
tainly very  different !  "  he  repeated,  putting  on  a  deep 
frown  that  was  very  imposing.  ' '  To-morrow  I  will  settle 
this  point." 

And  in  this  desperate  state  of  mind  our  cadet  set  him- 
self to  work  to  indite  the  draft  of  a  letter  which  he  pro- 
posed to  send  to  the  algebra  teacher. 


70  MAXIMINA. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIK  :  — 

"  If  you  have  any  delicacy  (which  I  have  reason  to 
doubt)  you  will  perfectly  understand  that  after  the  coarse 
insult  which  you  took  pains  to  give  me  yesterday,  enjo}7- 
ing  the  advantage  of  your  position,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  one  or  the  other  of  us  should  vanish  from  the 
earth.  As  for  the  proper  remedy,  you  will  be  kind  enough 
to  come  to  an  understanding  with  my  two  friends  Senor 

—  and  Senor (Here  will  be  two  blanks  for  the  names 

of  my  seconds,  for  I  have  not  yet  decided  who  they  ivill  be). 
I  remain,  Sir,  at  your  command,  etc." 

After  reading  this  letter  three  or  four  times,  it  seemed 
to  him  that  it  was  not  forcible  enough.  He  tore  it  up, 
and  at  one  breath  wrote  this  one  :  — 

"  SIR  :  You  are  a  scoundrel.  If  this  intentional  insult  is 
not  sufficient  to  bring  your  seconds,  I  shall  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  flinging  it  in  your  face.  Your  servant,  who  sub- 
scribes his  name, 

"  JACOBO  UTRIULA." 

Perfectly  satisfied  with  the  content  and  form  of  this 
last  missive,  the  heroic  lad  copied  it  off  with  particular 
care,  closed  it  with  sealing-wax,  and  directed  it ;  then  he 
left  it  in  his  table  drawer  until  the  next  day,  when  he  pro- 
posed sending  it  to  its  destination. 

By  this  time  night  had  come,  and  he  went  to  bed  with- 
out any  desire  to  eat  supper.  Sleep  delayed  her  visit ; 
the  angel  of  desolation  flapped  her  pinions  over  his  brow, 
and  inspired  him  with  the  most  terrific  plans  of  destruc- 
tion. And  doubtless  at  that  very  hour  the  algebra  pro- 
fessor was  tranquilly  sleeping  without  the  slightest  sus- 
picion of  the  misfortune  overhanging  him. 

When  this  suggestion   presented   itself   to  Utrilla,   he 


MAXIMINA.  71 

could  not  help  smiling  in  a  most  sinister  fashion  between 
the  sheets. 

At  last  Morpheus  succeeded  in  overcoming  him,  but 
with  no  intention  of  sending  sweet  and  refreshing  dreams  ; 
a  thousand  gloomy  nightmares  tormented  him  all  night 
long  ;  from  one  o'clock  till  six  in  the  morning  he  battled 
with  his  ene'my,  using  all  the  meth6ds  known  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  and  some  of  his  own  invention.  Now  he  beheld 
himself  facing  the  hateful  professor  with  a  foil  in  his 
hand ;  the  professor  had  wounded  him  in  the  right  hand, 
but  nevertheless  Utrilla,  without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
exclaimed:  "  Come  on.  Use  the  left  hand!"  filling  all 
the  witnesses  full  of  admiration  at  his  coolness.  And 
with  his  left  hand,  zas !  after  a  few  thrusts  he  had  buried 
the  sword  up  to  the  hilt  in  his  body ! 

Then  they  appeared  each  with  pistol  in  hand  ;  the  sec- 
onds give  the  signal  to  aim;  the  professor  fires,  and  his 
ball  grazes  his  cheek ;  then  he  aims,  and  keeps  aiming, 
and  the  professor,  now  seeing  death  at  hand,  falls  on  his 
knees  and  begs  for  his  life  ;  he  grants  his  prayer,  firing 
into  the  air,  but  not  without  first  saying  scornfully : 
"And  to  think  of  this  man  insulting  Jacobo  Utrilla!" 

Divine  Aurora,  the  goddess  with  the  saffron  veil,  was 
already  descending  the  heights  of  Guadarrama,  when  the 
stripling  awoke  in  the  same  prophetic  state  of  mind.  Sad 
day  that  was  now  beginning  to  dawn  for  an  innocent 
family,  for  the  algebra  professor's  six  children,  had  not 
Jupiter  hastened  to  send  to  the  hero's  bolster  his  daughter 
Minerva  in  the  form  of  the  housekeeper. 

"  Jacobito,  my  dear,  will  you  be  perishing  of  weakness, 
my  child !  Here  I  have  some  chocolate  and  spiral  cakes 
which  you  like  so  much." 

The  lad  rubbed  his  eyes,  cast  an  excessively  severe 
look  at  the  chocolate  which  was  so  compassionately 


72  MAXIMINA. 

brought  him,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  take  it,  but  not 
before  he  had  gnashed  his  teeth  in  such  a  desperate  fash- 
ion that  the  good  Dona  Adelaida  was  alarmed. 

"  Come,  come,  Jacobito,  my  son,  don't  grieve,  don't  be 
so  much  troubled,  because  you  will  be  sure  to  fall  sick. 
.  .  .  There  is  no  help  for  it.  ...  Going  to  bed  without 
taking  anything  was  <a  piece  of  folly.  Your  father  will 
come  round  all  right,  and  finally  everything  will  be  settled 
as  you  want  it.  You  certainly  must  have  had  a  very  bad 
night !  You  must  not  go  on  this  way  trifling  with  your 
stomach !  .  .  .  And  now  what  are  you  going  to  do,  my 
son?  I  am  afraid  for  you  with  such  a  rash  disposition  as 
God  has  given  you  !  " 

When  Jacobo  heard  this  question,  he  for  a  moment 
suspended  the  hateful  task  of  swallowing  his  chocolate, 
raised  his  angry  face  to  the  housekeeper,  and  shouted 
with  concentrated  fury  :  — 

"  What  am  I  going  to  do  !  ...  You  shall  see,  you 
shall  see  what  I  am  going  to  do !  " 

And  then  he  once  more  began  to  grit  his  teeth  so  terri- 
bly that  Dona  Adelaida  was  frightened  out  of  her  wits, 
and  exclaimed :  — 

"Come  now,  calm  yourself,  calm  yourself,  Jacobito! 
You  know  that  I  was  present  when  you  were  born,  and 
that  your  sainted  mother,  who  left  you  when  you  were  a 
mere  baby  —  poor  woman  !  —  charged  me  to  have  a  watch- 
ful eye  over  you.  If  you  should  do  anything  desperate, 
you  will  kill  me  with  sorrow.  .  .  .  Come,  my  son,  tell 
me  what  you  intend  to  do.  ..." 

The  lad,  pushing  away  the  chocolate  cup  with  an  ener- 
getic movement,  and  rolling  his  eyes  frenziedly,  screamed 
rather  than  said  :  — 

"Do  you  want  to  know  what  I  am  going  to  do?  ... 
Then  I  will  tell  you  this  very  instant.  ...  I  am  going  to 


MAXIMINA.  73 

the  factory,  I  am  going  to  put  on  a  blouse,  I  am  going  to 
daub  my  hands  with  grease,  pull  the  candle  moulds,  and 
roast  my  face  in  front  of  the  furnaces.  .  .  .  And  when 
any  stranger  comes  to  the  factory,  the  hands  will  be  able 
to  say  :  '  This  man  whom  }-ou  see  —  dirty,  nasty,  ill-smell- 
ing —  used  to  be  a  gentleman  cadet,  a  cadet  in  the  Military 
Academy  !  .  .  .  Ah  !  "  he  said,  concluding  with  a  muffled 
voice,  "Ah!  no  one  knows,  no  one  knows  what  Jacobo 
Utrilla  is  capable  of  !  " 

The  housekeeper,  who  was  expecting  some  desperate 
resolution,  when  she  found  that  it  was  of  this  sort,  could 
not  refrain  from  a  cry  of  joy. 

"  That  is  right,  my  son,  that  is  right !  That  is  the  best 
way  of  heaping  coals  of  fire  on  the  heads  of  your  father 
and  brother,  who  have  been  pestering  me  to  death  by 
saying  that  you  were  of  no  use,  that  you  were  a  lazy- 
bones. .  .  ." 

"  But  before  doing  that,"  interrupted  Jacobo,  extend- 
ing both  hands  as  though  he  were  trying  to  hold  back  the 
avalanche  which  was  about  to  fall,  "it  is  necessary  that 
one  of  us  two  perish  ! " 

"  Merciful  Virgin  !"  exclaimed  Dona  Adelaida.  "Who 
is  going  to  perish,  Jacobito  ?  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  go 
lose  your  mind  !  Do  you  want  your  father  to  die  ?  " 

"  Not  him,  senora,  not  him !  I  refer  to  my  algebra 
professor,  with  whom  this  afternoon  or  to-morrow  at  the 
very  latest,  I  am  going  to  fight  a  duel !  " 

' '  And  what  has  the  algebra  professor  done  to  you  ? 
Made  you  fail  in  your  examination?  Now  if  you  had 
studied,  as  your  father  told  you  to  do,  this  would  not 
have  happened." 

"  Senora,"  cried  Jacobo,  in  a  stentorian  voice  so  fiend- 
ish that  Dona  Adelaida  in  affright  took  a  step  or  two 
backward,  "don't  you  dare  to  speak  about  what  you  do 


74  MAXIMINA. 

not  understand !  I  cannot  get  over  my  vexation  that  I 
ever  had  anything  to  do  with  algebra.  "What  the  pro- 
fessor did  was  to  sneer  at  me,  and  this,  my  father's  son 
cannot  put  up  with  !  Do  you  understand?" 

"  Come,  calm  yourself,  Jacobito ;  you  have  been  very 
much  disturbed  since  yesterday.  Perhaps  it  is  not  as  bad 
as  you  think.  It  may  be  that  this  gentleman  did  not  sneer 
at  you  on  purpose." 

"  He  ma}-  not  have  done  it  intentionally,  but  the  fact  is, 
he  insulted  me,  and  I  will  not  stand  it ;  I  never  have  yet, 
and  I  never  intend  to  let  any  one  insult  me  with  impunity. 
You  know  very  well  that  in  this  respect  I  am  a  peculiar 
man." 

"  I  know  it,  Jacobito ;  you  have  the  same  disposition 
as  your  grandfather  (peace  to  his  soul !).  What  a  man  he 
was  !  He  was  as  qtiick  to  flare  up  as  gunpowder  !  Just 
think ;  one  time  when  he  was  shaviug,  he  heard  a  cry  in 
the  court ;  he  turned  his  head  so  suddenly  that  he  gave 
himself  a  tremendoiis  cut  in  the  nose.  .  .  .  But  it  is  nec- 
essary, my  son,  to  have  self-restraint,  and  repress  one's 
nature  a  little,  if  one  would  live  in  this  world.  It  is  my 
idea  that  if  this  professor  made  sport  of  you,  what  you 
ought  to  do  is  to  make  sport  of  him  !  " 

With  slight  variations,  such  was  the  advice  that  in  the 
early  days  of  Greece,  Minerva,  the  goddess  of  the  glori- 
ous eyes,  gave  the  divine  Achilles  in  his  famous  quarrel 
with  Agamemnon,  the  son  of  Atreus. 

We  are  obliged  to  confess  that  this  hero  of  ours  did 
not  show  himself  so  amenable  to  the  goddess's  com- 
mands as  "Peleus'  godlike  son"  ;  instead  of  immediately 
sheathing  his  sword  and  yielding,  he  refused  to  make  use 
of  any  other  measures  than  those  of  force. 

The  only  concession  that  Dona  Adelaida  could  obtain 
after  many  prayers  was  to  postpone  the  professor's  de- 
struction till  another  day. 


MAXIMINA.  75 

That  same  morning,  however,  he  put  into  effect  his 
energetic  decision  of  going  to  the  factory  and  working 
there  all  day  long  "  like  a  dog,"  whereby  it  is  to  be  sup- 
posed that  he  quite  put  his  father  and  brother  to  shame 
and  confusion,  though  the}*  succeeded  in  hiding  it  per- 
fectly. 

The  greater  part  of  the  difficulties  due  to  his  excep- 
tional position  having  been  thus  overcome,  thanks  to  his 
incredible  boldness  and  sang  froid,  the  only  thing  that 
troubled  him  now  was  lest  Julita  would  not  take  in  good 
part  this  premature  retirement  from  the  military  service. 
So  it  was  that  he  delayed  for  several  days  telling  her 
about  it;  but  it  was  not  altogether  that  he  was  afraid 
of  annoying  her ;  the  fact  was  that  for  some  time  he  had 
not  seen  his  sweetheart  as  frequently  as  formerly.  It  was 
ominous  that  Julita  nowadays  appeared  but  seldom  on  her 
balcony,  and  it  was  not  less  significant  that  she  was  put- 
ting obstacles  in  the  way  of  his  sending  letters  regularly. 

Still  Utrilla  wrote  informing  her  that,  "  owing  to  family 
reasons,  and  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  his  pecuniary 
interests,  he  had  retired  from  the  service." 

This  was  the  only  dignified  way  that  he  could  find  of 
saying  that  he  had  been  dismissed. 

Contrary  to  his  expectations,  this  information  did  not 
produce  any  great  effect.  On  the  other  hand,  she  waited 
five  or  six  days  before  she  answered  it,  and  at  the  end 
she  wrote  :  — 

"  That  if  he  had  given  up  his  career  because  it  was  con- 
venient, he  did  perfectly  right ;  but  that  henceforth  he 
would  do  her  the  favor  not  to  send  letters  to  her  through 
the  door-maid,  since  she  had  certain  reasons  for  objecting 
to  it,  and  that  he  should  wait  until  she  told  him  to  whom 
he  should  entrust  his  letters." 

It  happened  that  Miguel  during  these  days  twice  met 


76  MAXIMINA. 

the  ex-cadet.  The  latter  was  so  glad  to  see  him,  and 
showed  him  so  much  affection  and  friendliness,  that  Rivera 
could  not  help  reciprocating  it,  canning  his  magnanimity 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  call  him  once  or  twice  his  future 
brother-in-law. 

"  If  there  is  no  way  of  preventing  my  sister  from 
marrying  a  rascal,  it  would  be  better  to  have  you,  friend 
Utrilla,"  said  he. 

The  former  cadet  swelled  with  delight  until  he  almost 
burst,  not  only  at  the  prospect  of  marrying  Julita,  but 
also  to  hear  himself  called  a  rascal  in  such  a  genial 
way. 

At  both  interviews  he  urged  Rivera  warmly  to  come 
and  visit  his  factory,  because  he  was  very  anxious  to 
show  it  to  him,  and  to  explain  the  great  improvements 
that  he  was  planning  to  make  in  it,  if  his  father  and 
brother,  both  whom  were  very  conservative,  did  not  make 
too  strong  opposition.  He  expressed  his  desire  so  eagerly 
that  finally  one  afternoon  Miguel  decided  to  take  a  car- 
riage and  drive  to  Cuatros  Caminos,  from  which  it  was 
easy  to  reach  the  candle  factory  of  Utrilla  and  Company. 

"  Is  Senor  Utrilla  here?" 

' '  Don  Manuel  does  not  often  come  to  the  factory ;  he 
lives  at  forty-six  Sacramento  Street." 

"  I  want  to  see  his  son." 

"Ah!  Don  Rafael,"  said  the  door-keeper.  "Yes,  sir; 
he  is  here.  Walk  in." 

"  It  is  Don  Jacobo  whom  I  want  to  see." 

"Don  Jacobo,"  repeated  the  door-keeper,  hesitating  and 
smiling.  "Ah  yes,  sir,  Jacobito ;  I  had  forgotten.  He 
is  here  too.  Walk  in." 

Jacobo  was  writing  in  the  same  room  with  his  elder 
brother,  who,  when  he  saw  that  it  was  a  friend  of  Jacobo, 
scarcely  deigned  to  lift  his  head,  and  gave  a  slight  nod. 


MAXIMINA.  77 

Utrilla,  however,  colored  to  the  ears,  and  came  to  greet 
him  with  great  eagerness. 

' '  Don  Miguel !  You  here  ?  How  glad  I  am !  .  .  . 
Rafael,"  he  added,  addressing  his  brother,  "I  am  going 
to  show  the  factory  to  Senor  Rivera." 

Rafael  without  looking  up,  said  :  — 

"Very  well." 

They  went  out  of  the  office  and  passed  slowly  through 
the  shops,  stopping  to  examine  the  mechanism  of  each 
process,  which  Utrilla  explained  in  a  loud  voice.  From 
time  to  time  he  would  say  in  an  imperious  tone :  — 

"  Jos£,  run  this  mould  !  .   .  .     Enrique,  lift  this  lid  !  " 

The  workmen  were  in  no  haste  to  obey  these  orders, 
and  he  had  to  repeat  them  in  a  voice  which  any  operatic 
basso  would  have  envied. 

The  ex-cadet's  factory  garb  could  not  have  been  more 
appropriate,  —  trousers  of  drilling,  red  shirt,  shoes,  and  an 
old  coat  with  the  collar  turned  up.  Although  it  was  very 
warm,  Utrilla,  both  on  the  street  and  at  home,  always  wore 
his  collar  this  way,  which  gave  him  the  appearance  of 
being  a  very  dissipated  man,  and  this  was  something  that 
delighted  him. 

In  the  rooms  where  the  women  were  working,  Utrilla 
allowed  himself  to  take  some  liberties  with  the  opera- 
tives, such  as  winking  at  them,  twitching  at  their 
handkerchiefs,  and  making  this  or  that  dubious  little 
witticism. 

"  You  will  excuse  me,  Don  Miguel ;  these  are  the  bad 
habits  of  military  life.  Though  one  were  going  to  be 
shot,  one  couldn't  help  saying  some  nonsense  to  the 
girls." 

"All  right,  all  right,  friend  Utrilla;  don't  incommode 
yourself  on  my  account." 

••  Man  alive,  you  are  going  now  to  see  something  very 


78  MAXIMINA. 

original  which  I  happened  to  think  of  doing  the  other 
day.  You  will  be  surprised.  .  .  .  The  foreman  of  the 
shop  said  to  me,  '  What  you  don't  think  of,  the  Devil  him- 
self would  not  think  of  !  " 

"  Let  us  see  it." 

He  then  took  him  to  the  storeroom,  and  opening  a 
closet,  showed  him  a  number  of  packages  of  candles  with 
lithographed  labels,  which  read  ;  — 


JULIA 

(Bujfa   Extrafma). 


"How  is  that?"  he  demanded,  with  radiant  and  tri- 
umphant face. 

"  Very  pretty  !  very  delicate  !  "  replied  Miguel,  smiling. 

"Take  a  package!" 

"  My  dear  fellow,  no,  thank  you  !  " 

"  Nonsense  !  take  one.  If  you  don't,  then  I  shall  send 
one  to  you." 

From  there  he  took  him  to  a  room  that  was  a  sort  of 
incommodious  private  office,  with  a  wretched  straw-stuffed 
sofa,  a  few  chairs,  and  a  table  with  a  writing-desk  on  it ;  on 
the  wall  hung  a  panoply  with  the  cadet's  military  outfit,  — 
sword,  belt,  spurs,  and  a  couple  of  foils  and  a  fencing- 
mask. 

Utrilla  confessed  to  his  friend  that  he  could  not  look 
at  this  panoply  without  sadness,  recollecting  "the  happy 
days  in  the  service." 

"What  life  is  so  happy  as  the  military!  Believe  me, 
Senor  Rivera,  that  in  spite  of  the  strictness  of  the  rules, 
I  miss  it  immensely." 

Afterwards  he  offered  him  a  cigar,  and   taking  out  a 


MAXIMINA.  79 

huge  meerschaum  mouthpiece,  he  began  calmly  to  color  it, 
calling  up  at  the  same  time,  with  a  veteran's  satisfaction, 
various  anecdotes  of  his  academ}'  life. 

"That  cigarette-holder  is  very  pretty:  what  does  it 
represent?" 

"A  cannon  on  a  pile  of  projectiles;  I  beg  of  you  to 
take  it,  Don  Miguel." 

"  I  do  not  need  it,"  replied  Rivera,  handing  it  back.  .  .  . 
"  It  is  in  very  good  hands." 

' '  But  I  should  be  much  better  pleased  to  have  you  keep 
it,  and  I  won't  take  it." 

"  Come  now,  friend  Utrilla,  don't  be  so  lavish." 

"  Throw  it  down  if  you  please,  but  I  will  not  take  it." 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  keep  it. 

Then  the  former  cadet  brought  the  conversation  round 
to  Julia,  and  besought  her  brother's  intercession,  as  he 
had  written  her  four  letters  and  had  received  not  a  single 
answer. 

"You  will  understand,  my  dear  Utrilla,"  said  Miguel, 
becoming  serious,  "  that  this  is  a  very  delicate  matter, 
and  that  I  have  no  right  to  mix  myself  up  in  your  affairs." 

"The  trouble  is,"  rejoined  the  ex-cadet,  with  a  sigh, 
"  with  the  passionate  nature  which  God  gave  me,  I  sent 
her  a  letter  to-day,  telling  her  that  if  she  persisted  in  her 
conduct,  she  would  do  me  the  favor  never  to  write  to  me 
again,  .  .  .  and  I  am  afraid  that  she  is  really  offended." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  Miguel,  laughing,  "  that  your  com- 
mand will  be  fulfilled  to  the  letter." 

The  cadet  remained  for  several  moments  pensive  and 
gloomy.  Then  shaking  himself  from  his  melancholy 
stupor,  and  passing  his  hand  over  his  forehead,  he  said  :  — 

"  By  the  way,  Don  Miguel,  you  have  not  washed  your 
hands." 

Rivera  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 


80  MAXIMINA. 

"  One  always  gets  dirty  in  the  factory,"  continued  the 
cadet.  "  Here  is  a  bowl  and  soap  for  you." 

"  Thank  you ;  my  hands  are  not  dirty." 

But  Utrilla  at  the  same  time  offered  him  a  china  bowl 
filled  with  clear  water,  and  the  soap-dish,  in  such  a  way 
that  Miguel  rather  than  appear  the  enemy  of  cleanliness 
yielded  and  washed  his  hands.  The  soap  was  strongly 
scented  with  orange. 

"Do  you  know  this  soap  is  very  fine  and  pleasant?" 
said  Rivera,  so  as  to  say  something. 

"  Do  you  like  it?  ...  Then  I  am  going  to  give  }7ou  a 
cake  of  it." 

"  My  friend,  I  beg  of  you  !  " 

Utrilla,  without  heeding  his  protests,  got  the  soap  out  of 
the  desk,  wrapped  it  up  in  a  piece  of  paper,  and  almost 
by  main  force  thrust  it  into  his  pocket.  From  that  time 
forth  Miguel  took  care  not  to  commend  anything  which  he 
happened  to  touch. 

As  he  was  going,  the  ex-cadet  shook  his  hand  ardently, 
and  said  in  a  voice  full  of  emotion  :  — 

"  Don't  fail  to  speak  to  her.  If  you  knew  how  sad  and 
desperate  I  am." 

The  truth  of  the  matter  was  that  he  had  good  reason  to 
be,  as  will  appear  in  the  next  chapter. 


VI. 


"  IP  your  son  were  to  put  up  at  a  hotel  while  I  have  a 
house  in  Madrid,  I  should  be  seriously  vexed  with  him, 
and  with  you  too,"  la  brigadiera  Angela  had  written  to 
her  cousin  Maria  Antonia. 

And  her  cousin  replied :  — 

"  I  have  sent  a  copy  of  your  letter  to  Alfonso,  and 


MAXIM1NA.  81 

assured  him  that  he  would  enjoy  much  staying  with  you. 
Although  he  always  rebels  against  my  advice,  I  hope  that 
this  time  he  will  gratify  me.  But  I  am  afraid,  my  dear, 
that  his  visit  may  cause  you  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  for  I 
don't  know  what  kind  of  habits  he  has  contracted  in  Paris  ; 
but  you  have  asked  for  it,  and  you  can  try  it." 

La  brigadiera  caused  the  rooms  that  Miguel  had  occu- 
pied to  be  put  in  order  with  so  much  care  and  nicety, 
worried  her  daughter  Julia  so  desperately  in  the  details  of 
the  appointments,  the  curtains,  etc.,  that  the  girl  when 
she  spoke  of  her  cousin  always  spoke  of  him  as  "  el  nino 
de  la  bola."1 

Before  she  made  his  acquaintance,  she  conceived  a  vio- 
lent antipathy  to  him.  This  was  caused  in  no  small 
measure,  because  the  visitor  twice  disappointed  them 
about  coming.  The  reports  that  she  had  heard  about  him 
were  not  very  favorable  either. 

Alfonso  Saavedra  had  lost  his  father  when  he  was  very 
young  :  he  was  the  inheritor  of  a  considerable  fortune  ;  his 
mother  had  not  had  sufficient  energy  or  ability  to  train  him 
properly  ;  he  had  not  chosen  any  definite  career  ;  his  only 
occupation  was  amusement,  and  allowing  free  course  to 
his  passions,  which,  according  to  what  people  said,  could 
not  have  been  more  violent.  Very  amusing  stories  were 
told  about  him,  and  some  that  were  extremely  displeasing  : 
he  had  been  living  in  Paris  almost  constantly  since  he  was 
a  young  lad,  and  there  he  had  largely  squandered  his  es- 
tate, but  as  he  had  still  large  expectations  from  his 
mother's  property,  which  was  even  larger  than  his  father's, 
he  lived  without  apprehension  of  the  future,  and  spent  his 
money  lavishly. 

Finally,  a  telegram  was  received  announcing  the  depart- 
ure from  Paris  of  el  nino  de  la  bola. 

1  Almost  corresponding  to  our  vulgar  "  son  of  a  gun." 


82  MAXIMINA. 

And  on  the  morning  of  the  following  day  he  arrived. 
When  Jnlia  heard  the  bell  ring,  feeling  disturbed,  she 
went  to  the  sewing-room  and  began  to  jest  with  the  maid 
about  the  style  which  her  cousin  affected ;  then  there  was 
heard  in  the  corridor  a  great  commotion  of  moving  luggage. 

"  "What  room  has  he  been  shown  into,  Inocencia? "  she 
asked  of  the  girl  who  came  in  at  that  moment. 

"  He  is  in  the  library  with  your  mamma." 

In  a  few  moments  a  powerful  ring  at  the  bell  was  heard. 

"  The  senora  is  calling,"  said  Inocencia,  running. 

"  Senorita  will  please  come  immediately  to  the  library, 
says  your  mamma,"  she  announced,  on  returning. 

"  Very  well,"  the  girl  replied,  in  bad  humor.  "  Are 
they  sitting  down?" 

"  Yes,  senorita." 

"  Then  they  can  wait  without  hurting  them  any." 

But  in  a  few  minutes  the  pull  at  the  bell  was  repeated 
with  more  violence,  and  the  girl,  foreseeing  her  mother's 
vexation,  arose  with  a  very  bad  grace,  and  dropping  her 
sewing,  exclaimed  with  a  scornful  accent :  — 

"  There  now,  we  are  going  to  see  Don  Alfonso,  Prince 
of  Asturias  !  " 

Don  Alfonso  was  a  man  of  about  thirty-five,  a  gay 
bachelor,  with  regular  features,  with  shaven  cheeks,  and 
mustaches  twisted  in  the  French  style  ;  in  his  wavy,  black 
hair  gleamed  here  and  there  a  thread  of  silver ;  otherwise, 
his  fresh  and  ruddy  cheeks,  his  white  and  carefully  brushed 
teeth,  and  his  easy,  graceful  gestures,  made  him  seem  like 
a  boy  ;  his  travelling-costume  was  affectedly  elegant,  with 
certain  Parisian  refinements  unknown  in  Madrid.  Julita 
took  all  this  in  at  one  rapid  glance.  He  was  not  at  all 
the  man  that  she  expected  to  meet.  Having  heard  her 
cousin  spoken  of  as  a  spendthrift,  she  had  always  imag- 
ined him  as  jaundiced,  lean,  scrubby,  and  inflicted  with  a 


MAXIMINA.  83 

cough,  like  some  hair-brained  Madrilinos  whom  she  knew 
by  sight. 

When  he  saw  the  young  lady,  he  arose  hastily  to  his 
feet. 

"Oh,  what  a  pretty  cousin!"  he  exclaimed,  at  the 
same  time  taking  her  hand  in  a  frank  and  affectionate 
manner.  "  You  will  forgive  me  for  having  disturbed  you 
in  what  you  were  doing,  will  you  not?" 

'"  I  was  hot  doing  anything.  .  .  .  "Won't  you  sit  down, 
sir?" 

Don  Alfonso  remained  a  moment  in  a  state  of  uncer- 
tainty, and  then  as  he  sat  down,  he  exclaimed  with  a 
gesture  of  resignation  :  —  • 

"What  a  terrible  blow  to  my  illusions,  aunt!  Your 
daughter  has  not  dared  to  say  thou  to  me.  .  .  .  These 
cursed  gray  hairs  !  " 

Julita  flushed  a  deep  crimson. 

< '  That  is  not  the  reason  !  " 

"  Then  it  is  because  you  have  been  prejudiced  against 
me  ;  confess  it !  ...  But  it  is  not  my  fault  either  that  I 
am  old,  or  that  your  mamma  has  disturbed  you  on  my 
account." 

Julita,  flushing  deeper  and  deeper,  did  not  know  how 
to  defend  herself  ;  her  mother  came  to  her  aid. 

"  It  is  neither  the  one  thing  nor  the  other,  Alfonso  ;  the 
trouble  is  that,  as  having  never  met  you  before,  she  is  con- 
fused." 

"Is  that  so?"  he  asked  his  cousin,  at  the  same  time 
looking  at  her  with  a  bright  smile. 

Julita  gave  an  affirmative  gesture,  and  returned  his 
smile. 

"  That  is  not  so  bad.  .  .  .  But  I  still  feel  a  keen  sense 
of  remorse.  It  will  be  very  gratifying  to  me  if  you  will 
tell  me  that  I  am  forgiven." 


84  MAXIMINA. 

Julita,  with  difficulty  overcoming  the  timidity  that 
choked  her,  said  in  a  low  tone  :  — 

"  I  have  nothing  to  forgive  you  for." 

"  Thanks,  little  coz,"  pursued  Don  Alfonso,  rising,  and 
with  an  elegant  and  graceful  gesture  again  shaking  hands 
with  her. 

Then  he  began  to  talk  with  his  aunt  about  family 
affairs  ;  asking  her  many  questions  about  his  whole  circle 
of  relatives,  and  learning  many  particulars  of  which  he 
had  been  ignorant. 

Then  the  conversation  turned  on  the  customs  of  Paris, 
which  he  described  pleasantly  and  attractively,  taking 
pains  to  extol  Spain,  instead  of  depreciating  it  as  the 
majoritj'  of  travellers  are  in  the  habit  of  doing.  This 
appealed  to  la  brigadiera's  sympathies.  Don  Alfonso 
spoke  easity  and  naturally,  but  without  conceit ;  on  the 
contrary,  in  the  midst  of  his  talk,  he  would  correct  any 
idea  that  seemed  at  all  pretentious,  and  was  evidently 
anxious  to  show  that  he  had  no  wish  whatever  to  make 
himself  out  a  remarkable  man. 

If  he  spoke  of  women,  all  had  "  given  him  the  mitten  "  ; 
if  he  spoke  of  art,  or  gave  his  opinion  about  museums 
and  singers,  he  protested  that  he  had  little  or  no  knowl- 
edge of  painting  or  music ;  if  by  chance  he  was  obliged 
to  refer  to  any  quarrel  in  which  he  himself  had  taken 
part,  he  passed  over  it  lightly,  and  did  not  fail  to  have  it 
understood  that  he  had  done  everything  possible  to  avoid 
it,  and  at  the  same  time  he  made  sport  of  the  duel  and  of 
duelists. 

As  Don  Alfonso  had  the  reputation  of  being  lucky  in 
love  affairs,  and  many  of  his  adventures  had  made  con- 
siderable talk,  as  he  played  the  piano  pretty  well,  and 
was  accounted  one  of  the  crack  marksman  of  Paris,  and 
had  fought  more  than  a  dozen  duels,  this  modesty  of  his 


MAXIMINA.  85 

in  conversation  was  a  refreshing  contrast,  sure  of  bring- 
ing success  in  society.  These  accomplishments  were  ren- 
dered still  more  attractive  by  the  slight  foreign  accent 
which  made  his  words  all  the  more  insinuating  and  suave. 

Juiita  listened  to  him,  gazing  at  him  with  that  intense 
and  conjuring  look  by  which  young  girls  in  an  instant 
analyze  all  a  man's  physical  and  moral  nature. 

Her  cousin  made  a  very  favorable  showing  as  the  result 
of  the  analysis ;  she  had  no  idea  that  he  was  such  an 
amiable  and  attractive  man ;  the  incidents  of  his  life 
which  she  had  heard  before  gave  him  the  reputation  of 
being  haughty  and  violent  in  character,  if  not  even  coarse 
and  shameless. 

One  evening  in  Seville  he  was  engaged  in  playing 
ombre,  and  because  he  was  not  very  successful,  he  be- 
came so  much  excited  that  he  said  all  sorts  of  impudent 
things,  and  finally  told  the  ladies  present  that  he  was 
going  to  ride  into  the  parlor  on  his  nag.  No  one  placed 
any  credence  in  what  he  said,  and  he  went  out  without  any 
one  noticing  it ;  but  in  a  few  minutes  he  made  his  appear- 
ance on  horseback,  to  the  amazement  and  terror  of  all, 
especially  the  ladies,  who  began  to  scream,  while  he, 
striking  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  roared  with  laughter. 

On  another  occasion,  being  deep  in  an  intrigue  with  a 
young  woman  of  the  middle  class,  he  went  in  full  dress 
to  the  house  of  her  parents,  and  told  them  that  he  wished 
to  speak  with  them  on  a  very  private  and  serious  matter. 
The  father,  who  was  a  humble  government  employe",  im- 
agining, as  any  one  might  have  supposed,  that  he  was 
going  to  ask  his  daughter's  hand,  received  him  trembling 
with  emotion  ;  then  after  many  periphrases  and  circumlo- 
cutions, Saavedra  ended  by  asking  him  to  give  him  a 
favorable  report  on  a  certain  matter  that  he  had  in  his 
department. 


86  MAXIMINA. 

This  hateful  piece  of  drollery  was  noised  over  the  whole 
town,  and  put  that  poor  innocent  seiior  in  a  most  ridicu- 
lous light. 

But  Julita,  as  she  saw  and  listened  to  him,  forgot  these 
and  other  escapades ;  unquestionably  this  young  man, 
who  in  her  presence  was  so  refined  and  modest,  was  an 
entirely  different  person. 

Saavedra  after  showing  such  gallantry  to  his  cousin, 
waited  a  long  time  before  he  addressed  her,  or  even 
looked  at  her ;  he  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  his  conversa- 
tion with  her  mother.  Thus  it  was  that  she  had  an 
abundance  of  time  to  make  a  careful  scrutiny  of  his 
appearance  :  his  shirt-collar,  his  cravat,  his  watch-chain, 
his  boots,  all  were  elegant,  and  proved  by  their  style 
that  they  came  from  the  other  side  of  the  Pyrenees. 

"  You  will  feel  like  getting  the  dust  off  and  having  a 
wash,  Alfonso,"  said  la  brigadiera.  "Come;  we  will 
show  you  to  your  room :  it  is  the  one  which  my  son 
Miguel  used  to  occupy." 

Don  Alfonso  could  not  praise  it  sufficiently  :  he  found 
everything  to  his  taste. 

"  I  shall  be  just  like  a  fish  in  the  water  here.  You  will 
have  trouble  in  getting  rid  of  me,  I  assure  you ! " 

"  I  will  warn  you,"  said  Julia,  "  that  it  was  I  who  made 
the  bed  myself.  Don't  you  dare  say  that  you  have  not 
slept  well." 

As  soon  as  she  had  said  these  words,  which  by  their 
mischievous  spirit  were  perfectly  proper,  she  repented 
having  said  them,  and  blushed.  Don  Alfonso  turned 
his  face  upon  her,  and  looked  at  her  with  some  friendly 
curiosity. 

"  That  is  the  very  reason  that  I  shall  not  sleep  well. 
You  were  unkind  to  tell  me." 

Julita  blushed  more  than  ever,  and  to  hide  her  confu- 


MAXIMINA.  87 

sion  began  to  straighten  the  bottles  on  the  dressing-table, 
and  then  she  left  the  room.  Finally  her  mother  also  went, 
leaving  him  to  himself,  and  shortly  afterward  he  again 
appeared  in  the  parlor,  in  another  costume  of  the  latest 
and  most  elegant  style. 

"  Julita,"  said  her  mother,  "tell  them  to  put  on  the 
breakfast ;  you  must  feel  weary,  Alfonso." 

"  No,  aunt ;  I  feel  hungry,  though.  The  word  is  more 
prosaic,  but  it  is  nearer  the  truth." 

La  brigadiera,  with  a  laugh,  accepted  the  arm  which 
her  nephew  offered  her  as  the}*  went  to  the  dining-room. 
During  the  meal  he  entertained  the  ladies  in  the  same 
agreeable  fashion,  telling  them  a  thousand  curious  inci- 
dents, giving  them  minute  descriptions  of  the  soirees  in 
the  fashionable  society  of  Paris.  They  were  most  inter- 
ested in  what  he  had  to  say  about  the  ladies'  dresses  and 
the  decoration  of  the  salons. 

During  the  conversation  he  never  once  forgot  those  gal- 
lant and  thoughtful  attentions  which  were  demanded  by 
his  situation.  By  intuition  he  discovered  when  Julita's 
wine-glass  was  empty  ;  he  offered  his  aunt  the  olives  ;  he 
passed  her  the  mustard,  cut  the  bread  for  her,  etc. 

Julia  was  merry,  and  perhaps  rather  more  talkative  than 
usual ;  but  when  she  made  use  of  any  expression  that  was 
a  little  more  piquante  than  usual,  she  would  feel  her  cheeks 
flush  under  her  cousin's  stead}',  smiling,  and  somewhat 
ironical  gaze. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  she  had  ever  forced  herself  to 
be  witty  and  sharp  and  say  sharp  things.  When  she  said 
anything  that  was  particularly  clever,  Saavedra  would 
look  up,  and  his  smile  would  seem  to  say,  "This  little 
girl  is  bright." 

Julia  was  rather  humiliated  by  his  smile  at  first,  but  then 
she  read  under  it  an  expression  of  scornful  protection,  or 


88  MAXIMINA. 

at  least  of  absolute  indifference,  scarcely  masked  by  the 
extreme  courtesy  which  he  showed  in  all  his  words  and 
gestures.  For  in  this  respect  Don  Alfonso  did  not  weary 
a  single  instant ;  he  did  not  miss  a  single  opportunity  of 
showing  them  his  subordination,  and  of  giving  both  his 
aunt  and  cousin  to  feel  how  agreeable  he  could  be  to 
them. 

In  the  days  that  followed,  his  gallantry  did  not  in  the 
least  relax.  La  brigadiera  wrote  her  cousin,  assuring  her 
that  "  she  would  keep  her  nephew  not  merely  a  month, 
but  all  his  life  in  her  house ;  that  he  was  a  perfect  gentle- 
man, and  that  young  men  could  not  in  Spain  possibly  ac- 
quire such  an  admirable  education  and  such  manners  as 
he  possessed." 

A  hearty  and  perfect  confidence  quickly  grew  between 
him  and  Julia ;  the  girl  amused  him  with  her  lively  and 
picturesque  chatter  which  recalled  to  the  exile  his  years 
of  childhood  and  youth. 

Don  Alfonso  played  the  guitar  as  well  as  the  piano, 
and  to  his  skill  and  facility  in  singing  Polish  and  Spanish 
songs  was  due  in  no  small  measure  his  social  success  in 
Parisian  societ}'.  But  there  he  played  and  sang  to  attract 
the  notice  of  the  ladies  and  make  himself  known,  while 
here  it  was  for  his  own  pleasure  or  to  bring  to  mind  happy 
days  or  events. 

When  he  came  home  in  the  afternoon  an  hour  before 
dinner,  he  was  fond  of  sitting  by  his  cousin's  side,  with  the 
guitar  on  his  knees,  and  singing  his  whole  repertoire,  not 
only  of  classic  songs,  but  also  of  the  serenades,1  habane- 
ras, and  polkas  of  his  earlier  days.  Julia  recalled  some  that 
he  had  forgotten,  and  whenever  this  happened  he  clapped 
his  hands  with  delight,  and  enthusiastically  praised  his 
cousin's  memory. 

1  Pasacalle ;  song  with  guitar  accompaniment  smig  on  the  street. 


MAXIMINA.  89 

She  was  in  her  element  those  days ;  she  had  some  one 
to  talk  with,  and  she  was  amused  a  large  part  of  the 
day  in  looking  out  for  the  visitor's  wants,  superintending 
the  ironing  of  his  linen,  and  seeing  that  his  room  was 
kept  neat  and  clean,  and  in  inspecting  with  childish  curi- 
osity his  belongings ;  and  then  she  heard  herself  con- 
stantly called  all  sorts  of  pet  adjectives.1  And  what 
young  girl  on  the  face  of  the  earth  would  not  enjoy  this  ? 
Don  Alfonso  had  certainly  remarkable  gifts  in  the  way  of 
giving  compliments  without  repeating  himself,  and  with- 
out descending  to  eternal  vulgarities,  and  he  was  very 
skilful  in  finding  occasion  to  say  something  pleasant  about 
the  maiden's  charms.  .  .  .  Now  it  was  her  hands  :  "pretty 
enough  to  eat "  ;  now  it  was  her  teeth :  "  abroad  very  few 
such  splendid  ones  were  to  be  seen";  again,  it  was  her 
jet-black  hair  :  "I  am  tired  of  seeing  nothing  but  tow  on 
women's  heads." 

Without  noticing  it,  the  girl  began  to  wait  impatiently 
afternoons  for  her  cousin's  coming,  and  if  anything  de- 
layed him,  she  would  keep  jumping  up  from  her  seat,  and 
then  coming  back  to  it  again  without  any  reason. 

It  was  during  these  days  that  our  droll  friend  Utrilla 
wrote  those  famous  letters  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter. 

One  afternoon  as  Saavedra  came  in,  Julia  happened  to 
be  passing  through  the  vestibule ;  she  affected  to  go  in 
front  of  him  without  greeting  him,  but  suddenly  twitched 
the  end  of  his  cravat,  and  untied  it. 

"Hold  on  there,  you  little  witch!  Now  come  and  tie 
it  for  me  again  !  " 

But  Julia  was  already  out  of  sight,  laughing.  Don 
Alfonso  followed  her  ;  he  overtook  her  in  the  dining-room  ; 
when  the  girl  saw  him,  she  started  to  run  again,  and  went 
to  the  kitchen. 

1  Bonita,  graciosa,  elegante,  encantadora. 


90  MAXIMINA. 

"  You  won't  escape  me  that  way !  "  cried  Saavedra. 

"Yes  I  shall  too,"  retorted  the  girl,  again  vanishing 
from  sight. 

Both  ran  along  the  corridor,  but  when  they  were  near 
the  parlor,  Julia  turned  around,  and  going  a  few  steps 
toward  her  cousin,  said  :  — 

"  Don't  chase  me  any  more ;  I  will  tie  the  cravat,  but 
I  won't  promise  to  do  it  well." 

"  It  is  enough  if  you  do  it ;  it  is  a  punishment*  which  I 
impose  upon  you." 

Laughing,  though  her  hands  trembled  a  little,  she 
arranged  the  tie. 

"What  is  that  you  have  hanging  there?"  she  asked, 
bending  her  head  so  as  to  examine  a  trinket  which  her 
cousin  wore  on  his  watch-chain. 

"  A  gold  heart.  .  .  .     Just  like  mine  !  " 

And  as  he  said  that  he  bent  over  and  imprinted  a  kiss 
on  the  girl's  neck. 

Julia  sti*aightened  herself  up  as  though  a  pin  had 
pricked  her,  flushed  deeply,  and  giving  him  a  severe  look, 
said  in  a  muffled  voice  :  — 

"  I  assure  you  that  I  do  not  wish  you  to  do  such  a  thing 
again  !  " 

Saavedra  looked  at  her  with  mischievous,  mirth-provok- 
ing eyes,  and  not  paying  any  attention  to  her  anger,  went 
on  calmly  talking  to  her.  Julia,  uncertain  what  course  to 
take,  replied  gravely  to  his  questions,  and  did  not  look  at 
him.  Finally  his  perfect  calmness  and  confidence  had 
their  effect  upon  her,  and  in  a  little  while  she  was  as  gay 
as  ever. 

Their  relations  continued  on  this  friendly  footing  for  a 
number  of  days,  until  suddenly  Julia  for  some  occult 
reason  began  to  grow  sober  and  melancholy.  Some 
afternoons,  instead  of  going  to  the  parlor  to  talk  with 


MAXIMINA.  91 

the  visitor,  she  left  him  alone  with  her  mother ;  if  she  met 
him  in  the  corridor,  she  would  give  him  a  serious  and  fur- 
tive glance,  and  let  him  pass  without  a  word ;  sometimes 
when  lie  addressed  her,  she  would  not  answer,  pretending 
not  to  hear  him  ;  at  other  times,  if  she  happened  to  go 
into  the  library,  and  found  him  there  reading  a  news- 
paper, she  would  turn  back  in  all  haste. 

All  these  signs  of  disregard  or  resentment,  strange  as  it 
may  seem,  had  no  effect  whatever  on  Don  Alfonso,  who, 
as  though  not  noticing  them,  continued  to  show  her  the 
same  gallantry  as  before,  even  more  pronounced  if  possi- 
ble, and  he  did  not  in  the  least  alter  his  habits,  nor  his 
hours  of  entering  or  leaving  the  house. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  Julia  was  sad  every  day  ; 
there  were  some,  when  without  the  least  apparent  reason, 
she  would  appear  extraordinarily  gay,  filling  the  whole 
house  with  her  merry  voice,  rallying  her  mamma,  her 
cousin,  and  every  one  who  happened  to  be  visiting  them, 
and  being  far  more  audacious  in  her  witticisms  than  usual. 
.  .  .  But  in  the  midst  of  this  obstreperous  gayety,  she 
would  suddenly  stop  for  several  moments,  with  her  eyes 
set  and  ecstatic,  and  then  her  face  would  take  on  a  very 
strange  expression  of  pain. 

On  these  merry  days  she  would  treat  her  cousin  with 
unaccustomed  amiability  as  though  she  were  anxious  to 
compensate  him  for  the  petty  disdain  that  she  had  shown 
him  in  the  days  gone  by. 

Don  Alfonso  stole  three  or  four  more  kisses,  each  time 
receiving  an  energetic  protest  on  the  girl's  part,  and 
finally  the  formal  threat  of  telling  her  mother.  Never- 
theless, these  were  not  the  days  when  she  was  sad  and 
down-spirited. 

One  evening  Julia,  Miguel,  Maximina,  and  Don  Alfonso 


92  MAXIMINA. 

formed  a  little  group l  in  the  la  brigadiera's  library.  Julia 
was  very  happy.  Suddenly  Saavedra  said  :  — 

"  See  here,  Julita,  haven't  you  a  sweetheart?" 

The  girl  grew  as  red  as  a  cherry ;  then  pale.  Miguel, 
seeing  her  embarrassment,  and  being  absolutely  at  sea  as 
to  the  reason  for  it,  hastened  to  her  aid,  saying  :  — 

"  Julia  has  not  as  yet  decided  upon  any  man  ;  her  char- 
acter is  too  fickle.  .  .  ." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  it !  "  interrupted  the  girl  in 
a  fury  of  passion,  casting  a  look  of  hatred  upon  him. 

"  My  dear  girl,  I  thought.  .  .  ." 

"Please  talk  about  what  you  know.  You  haven't  the 
slightest  idea  what  is  going  on  in  my  mind."  she  rejoined, 
with  a  severe  intonation  ;  and  turning  to  her  cousin,  and 
looking  him  straight  in  the  face,  she  added  :  — 

"And  supposing  I  had,  what  of  it?" 

"Nothing,"  replied  Don  Alfonso,  calmly.  "  How  glad 
I  should  be  if  you  had  one  worthy  of  you ;  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  would  not  be  very  easy,  considering  what  a 
nice  girl  you  are,  little  coz  !  " 

"Oh  yes,  I  am  an  angel!"  exclaimed  the  girl,  in  a 
sarcastic  tone. 

She  remained  a  moment  lost  in  thought,  then,  jumping 
up,  left  the  room. 

Miguel  had  been  surprised  by  his  sister's  answer,  not  so 
much  at  the  significance  of  her  words  as  at  the  violent 
and  scornful  tone  which  till  that  time  she  had  never  used 
toward  him.  And  stopping  to  think  a  moment,  he  was 
not  slow  to  fathom  what  was  passing  through  the  girl's 
mind. 

She  came  back  again  after  a  few  moments,  with  smiling 
face,  the  same  as  before,  and  began  to  enliven  the  tertulia 
with  her  witticisms.  She  did  not  sit  down,  but  kept 
1  Tertulia. 


MAXIMINA.  93 

moving  about  the  room  with  the  lithe  grace  and  liveli- 
ness characteristic  of  her. 

Miguel  noticed,  however,  that  there  was  too  much  ex- 
citement underneath  her  gayety  :  she  went  rapidly  from 
one  subject  to  another  ;  she  asked  questions  and  answered 
them  herself,  and  laughed  boisterously  at  the  slightest  ex- 
cuse. She  sat  down  at  the  piano  and  began  to  play  very 
loud  ;  then  she  sang  a  romanza  from  an  opera,  and  this  she 
suddenly  changed  into  a  Spanish  song,  which  she  did  not 
finish  either.  Then  she  quitted  the  piano  to  frolic  with 
Maximina,  whom  she  obliged  to  dance  a  polka  whether 
she  would  or  no ;  presently  she  accosted  her  brother  and 
kissed  him  again  and  again,  saying  to  Maximina:  — 

"  You  aren't  jealous,  are  you  now?  " 

Don  Alfonso's  eyes  followed  her  in  all  these  evolutions 
keenly  and  persistently,  with  a  peculiar  expression  of 
gentle  irony.  Miguel  noticed  it,  and  made  a  slight  ges- 
ture of  dissatisfaction. 

In  the  following  days  Julia's  avoidance  of  her  cousin 
increased,  and  was  shown  in  a  very  unpleasant  manner. 
He  had  only  to  come  where  she  was  for  her  immediately 
to  leave  the  room :  if  he  asked  her  to  sing,  or  play  the 
piano,  she  would  give  him  a  flat  refusal ;  she  did  not 
address  a  single  word  to  him,  and  if  he  asked  her  a 
question  she  would  answer  curtly  and  without  looking  at 
him.  La  bngadiera  noticed  these  shortcomings,  and 
chided  her  severely,  but  without  any  effect.  Don  Al- 
fonso pretended  not  to  notice  them,  and  continued  im- 
perturbably  to  treat  her  with  his  exquisite  courtesy,  and 
finding  every  opportunity  to  give  her  praise  which,  of 
course,  she  received  with  very  bad  grace. 

One  day  at  dinner  time,  while  they  were  still  at  dessert, 
la  brigadiera  was  conversing  socially  with  her  nephew. 
Julita  preserved  an  obstinate  silence,  making  little  balls 
of  bread  and  looking  steadily  at  the  table. 


94  MAXIMINA. 

The}'  were  talking  about  a  ball  to  be  given  by  a  cer- 
tain duke,  one  of  Saavedra's  friends,  where  they  were 
going  to  revive  the  ancient  and  classic  minuet.  In  fact, 
they  had  been  practising  it  several  days,  and  Saavedra 
had  ordered  an  elegant  costume  of  doublet  and  hose, 
the  details  of  which  he  was  carefully  describing  to  his 
aunt. 

Julita  looked  up,  and  giving  him  a  saucy  glance,  said 
with  peculiar  malice  ill-concealed  :  — 

"  It  seems  like  a  falsehood  for  you  to  engage  in  such 
things." 

"Why,  little  coz?"  asked  Don  Alfonso,  smiling  ami- 
ably. 

"  Because  you  are  already  an  old  man,"  rejoined  the 
girl,  with  a  scornful  accent.  A  moment  of  silence  fol- 
lowed that  impudent  thrust.  It  was  la  brigadiera  who 
broke  it,  and  she  was  so  furious  that  she  could  not 
complete  her  sentences  :  — 

"You  wicked  girl!  Insolent!  Aren't  you  ashamed? 
How  could  you  dare.  ...  I  feel  as  though  I  should  sink 
through  the  floor !  .  .  .  (standing  up,  in  high  dudgeon) . 
The  idea !  .  .  .  Leave  the  room  this  very  moment,  you 
shameless  creature  !  " 

Don  Alfonso,  smiling  with  unchanged  calmness,  en- 
deavored to  pacify  her,  saying  :  — 

"  But  what  is  the  harm  in  her  remark,  sefiora?  Julia 
has  only  told  the  truth.  It  is  what  I  say  to  myself  every 
morning  when  I  brush  my  hair.  .  .  .  The  worst  of  it  is, 
that  I  am  getting  to  be  a  boyish  old  man." 

La  brigadiera  would  not  listen  to  him,  but  pointed  her 
daughter  to  the  door,  with  extended  arm ;  Julia,  bursting 
into  tears,  but  still  with  haughty  and  lofty  face,  left  the 
room. 

Don  Alfonso  went  on  trying  to  calm  his  aunt,  who  not 


MAXIMINA.  95 

having  relieved  her  mind,  as  she  usually  did,  in  a  more 
brutal  fashion,  in  order  to  find  compensation,  heaped  re- 
proaches on  her  daughter.  After  she  was  somewhat  re- 
lieved she  got  up  and  went  to  enjoy  her  siesta  for  a  little 
while. 

Her  guest  likewise  arose,  with  his  cigar  in  his  mouth, 
and  with  slow,  lazy  steps  went  to  the  sewing-room,  hoping 
to  find  his  cousin  there.  He  was  not  disappointed ;  she 
was  there,  reading  a  book,  with  her  head  resting  on  one 
hand,  and  the  other  hanging  over  the  back  of  the  chair. 

Don  Alfonso  halted  at  the  threshold,  and  gazed  at  her 
for  a  while  with  an  indefinable  smile  playing  over  his 
lips. 

Julia  sat  motionless,  rigid  ;  the  frown  on  her  brow  grew 
a  trifle  deeper.  Don  Alfonso  slowly  approached  her, 
and  bending  his  head  humbly,  touched  his  lips  to  the 
girl's  hand,  at  the  same  time  saying  :  — 

"Pardon  !" 

Julia  gave  a  jump,  knocking  over  the  chair,  and  van- 
ished like  a  vapor. 

VII. 

THE  life  of  Rivera  and  his  wife  had  gradually  come  into 
regular  channels ;  the  house  was  now  entirely  furnished. 
Miguel  arose  early  and  went  to  his  library  to  work. 
Maxinu'na  stayed  some  time  longer  in  her  room,  making 
up  for  the  trials  which  she  had  been  obliged  to  undergo 
both  at  the  convent  and  at  her  aunt's  house.  Her  con- 
stitution required  much  sleep,  and  she  had  never  been  able 
to  satisfy  this  necessity.  Once  she  had  asked  her  aunt  as 
a  special  favor  :  — 

"  Aunt,  when  will  you  let  me  sleep  as  long  as  I  should 
like?" 


96  MAXIMINA. 

"  Some  day,  some  day,  I  will  let  you." 

But  the  day  never  came.  She  had  been  obliged  to  be 
up  at  half -past  five  in  the  winter,  and  at  five  in  summer, 
and  there  was  no  help  for  it.  Now  that  there  was  no  one 
to  torment  her,  since  Miguel  dressed  as  quietly  as  possi- 
ble so  as  not  to  wake  her,  she  was  able  to  indulge  in  her 
slothfulness.  When  at  last  she  got  up  she  would  go 
straight  to  the  library,  and  always  greet  her  husband 
with  a  timid — 

"  What  will  you  say  to  me?" 

"  What  am  I  going  to  say  to  you,  tonta?  It  must  have 
been  terrible  to  get  up  so  early  !  It  is  not  yet  quarter- 
past  nine  !  " 

Maximina,  who  had  noticed  in  passing,  that  the  clock 
said  that  it  was  almost  ten,  was  delighted  with  her  hus- 
band's equivocation,  and  would  kiss  him  affectionately. 

"  Listen ;  you  must  call  me  to-morrow  when  you  get  up." 

"  All  right,  I  will." 

"  On  your  word?" 

"  On  my  word  of  honor." 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  Miguel  did  not  fulfil  this  promise  : 
he  felt  that  it  was  too  great  a  pity  to  do  so. 

During  the  first  months  of  their  married  life  they  made 
various  calls,  and  received  an  equal  number ;  among 
others,  one  from  the  Galician  senoritas  whose  acquaint- 
ance they  had  made  on  the  train  ;  and  they  showed  Max- 
imina a  warm  and  boisterous  affection,  appropriate  to 
such  maidens.  Everywhere  the  young  wife  left  a  charm- 
ing impression  by  her  simple  and  natural  manners. 

"  What  a  good  woman  your  wife  must  be  !"  said  Migu- 
el's friends,  when  they  found  him  alone. 

The  young  man  would  smile  with  ill-repressed  pride, 
and  exclaim :  — 

"  She  is  just  a  mere  child  !  " 


MAXIMINA.  97 

But  be  would  say  to  himself :  — 

"God  gave  me  light." 

Marriage  had  not  caused  him  to  lose  any  of  his  inde- 
pendence, nor  any  of  those  bachelor  habits  which  are  so 
hard  to  overcome  at  a  certain  age.  Maximina  never  de- 
manded, or  even  asked,  any  sacrifice  of  him.  She  felt 
herself  absolutely  happy  to  be  the  wife  of  the  man  whom 
she  adored ;  and  the  daily  and  commonplace  actions  of 
life  were  to  her  a  source  of  unspeakable  delight. 

When  breakfast  time  came,  she  would  lightly  lift  the 
latch  of  the  library  door,  step  noiselessly  up  to  her  hus- 
band, and  say :  — 

"  It  is  half -past  twelve  now." 

While  the}'  were  breakfasting,  the  conversation  which 
they  kept  up  was  full  of  affectionate  trifles ;  when  their 
eyes  met,  they  expressed  mute  caresses  ;  and  many  times 
Miguel  reached  across  the  table  to  get  his  wife's  hand 
and  kiss  it,  much  to  the  young  woman's  terror  and  appre- 
hension ;  she  would  instantly  snatch  it  away  by  main 
force,  glancing  at  the  door  as  though  there  were  danger 
of  some  dragon  making  its  appearance. 

The  dragon  was  Juana,  who  was  likely  to  appear  with 
the  waiter  in  her  hands. 

After  breakfast  came  the  happiest »hour  of  the  day  for 
Maximina :  she  would  go  with  her  husband  to  the  library, 
and  he,  settling  himself  comfortably  in  an  easy-chair, 
would  take  her  on  his  knees,  fold  her  to  him,  and  whisper 
in  her  ears  the  sweetest  things  she  ever  heard.  Some- 
times it  happened  that  he  would  fall  into  a  doze,  and 
Maximina  would  not  lift  a  finger  for  fear  of  waking  him  ; 
and  even  though  her  position  were  uncomfortable,  she 
would  endure  it  until  Miguel  opened  his  eyes. 

"  There  now,  I  must  be  going  !  "  he  would  say,  getting 
up.  "  What !  so  soon?"  she  would  exclaim  sadly, 


98  MAXIMINA. 

Miguel  would  fondle  her,  and  smile,  and  take  leave 
of  her  at  the  door.  It  seemed  as  though  these  leave- 
takings  would  never  end. 

"  They  might  see  us  from  the  opposite  side,"  Maximina 
would  say,  tearing  herself  out  of  his  arms. 

"  But  the  door  is  closed !  " 

"  That  makes  no  difference  ;  they  might  see  us  through 
the  ventanilla.1  " 

Sometimes,  as  a  little  joke  on  his  wife,  he  would  start 
to  go  without  saying  good  by  ;  but  as  soon  as  she  heard 
him  raise  the  latch,  she  would  drop  whatever  she  was 
engaged  in  doing,  whether  in  the  dining-room,  the  kitchen, 
or  in  her  own  room,  and  fly  to  the  door.  When  she  did  not 
hear  the  latch,  he  would  do  his  best  to  make  her  hear  it. 

Maximina  spent  her  afternoons  with  the  servants.  Be- 
sides Juaua,  they  had  hired  two  others,  —  a  cook,  and  an- 
other maid,  who  had  a  better  idea  of  laundry  work  than 
the  maid  from  Pasajes. 

When  Miguel  came  in  at  dusk,  and  rang  the  bell,  the 
young  woman's  heart  would  give  a  leap,  and  she  herself 
would  run  to  open  the  door  for  him.  Sometimes  she 
would  let  the  maid  open  it ;  but  then  she  would  hide  be- 
hind the  door  or  in  the  next  room.  The  maid's  smiling 
face  would  betray  the  secret  to  the  young  man,  that  his 
wife  was  somewhere  near,  and  he  would  say,  sniffing  in  a 
comical  way :  — 

"  I  smell  Maximiua  here." 

And  then  he  would  go  straight  to  where  she  was  hiding, 
and  catch  her  by  the  arm. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  found  me  so  quick,"  she  would 
say,  with  simulated  disappointment.  At  other  times  she 
would  open  the  ventanilla ,  and  ask :  — 

1  All  Madrid  apartments  have  a  small  opening,  called  ventanilla,  in 
the  entrance  door. 


MAXIMINA.  99 

"  What  is  it  you  want?  " 

"  Does  Don  Miguel  Rivera  live  here?"  he  would  ask. 

"  Yes,  senor ;  but  he  is  not  at  home." 

' '  Is  the  senora  in  ?  " 

"  The  senora  is  in,  but  she  cannot  receive  you." 

"  Tell  her  that  there  is  a  gentleman  here  who  wants  to 
give  her  a  hug  and  a  kiss." 

They  laughed  and  amused  themselves  with  these  trifles, 
and  the  young  wife  never  thought  of  asking  her  husband 
to  give  her  an  account  of  his  time.  She  would  go  with 
him  to  the  library.  Miguel  would  take  a  book  and  sit 
down,  saying  :  — 

"  There  now,  leave  me  alone  a  few  minutes  ;  I  want  to 
read." 

"  You  naught}',  naught}*  boy !  "  she  would  retort  with 
innocent  vexation.  "  You  are  very  naughty  to  send  me 
away !  " 

Miguel  would  relent,  and  pull  her  back  by  the  hand. 

After  dinner  they  used  to  spend  another  little  while 
together,  and  then  he  would  go  to  the  cafe1,  and  from 
there  to  his  editorial  rooms,  returning  at  twelve  or  one. 
His  wife  used  to  try  to  wait  for  him,  either  lay  reading  a 
book  or  by  taking  a  nap.  Saturdays  they  always  went  to 
the  theatre,  for  La  Independencia  was  not  published  on 
Sundays,  and  so  there  was  one  day  in  the  seven  when  he 
was  not  driven  with  work. 

One  evening,  as  she  was  coming  down  stairs,  Maximina, 
who  was  occupied  in  putting  on  her  gloves,  tripped  and 
fell,  rolling  down  several  steps. 

"  Oh !  my  wife  !  "  cried  Miguel,  hastening  to  her  aid. 

The  young  woman  got  up  with  a  smile,  though  she  was 
flushed  with  alarm.  She  had  not  suffered  any  harm,  but 
the  heart-rending  cry  uttered  by  Miguel  had  gone  to  the 
very  depths  of  her  soul. 


100  MAXIMINA. 

Then,  also  for  the  first  time,  Miguel  realized  how  this 
gentle  creature  had  taken  possession  of  his  heart. 

She  had  been  greatly  troubled  at  a  slight  ailment  from 
which  her  husband  suffered  during  the  early  months  of 
their  marriage :  severe  rheumatic  pains  kept  him  housed 
for  several  days;  he  grew  pale  and  thin,  and,  worse  than 
all,  was  in  a  very  unhappy  frame  of  mind,  for  he  was  not 
a  man  to  endure  adversities  patiently. 

Maximina  was  deeply  troubled,  and  do  the  best  she 
could,  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  hide  her  grief.  She  sat 
all  day  long  beside  the  bed,  and  did  not  take  her  eyes 
from  her  husband ;  from  time  to  time,  almost  overcome 
with  grief,  and  making  great  efforts  to  control  herself,  she 
would  say :  — 

"  You  feel  better,  you  do  feel  better,  don't  you?  Yes, 
yes,  you  must  feel  better  !" 

"Since  you  say  so,  you  must  be  very  sure  of  it,"  he 
would  say  slyly,  with  an  ironical  smile. 

And  then  seeing  her  great,  timid,  innocent  eyes  fill  with 
tears,  he  would  repent  of  his  unseasonable  words,  and 
add,  caressing  her  hand  :  — 

"Don't  mind  about  me.  I  am  doing  well.  To-morrow 
I  shall  be  all  right ;  truly  I  shall." 

And  the  young  wife  was  happy  for  a  few  moments,  until 
she  would  be  alarmed  again  by  some  new  complaint  from 
the  sick  man. 

How  delightful  when  he  got  well  again !  It  was  the 
first  time  that  her  husband  ever  heard  her  sing  at  the  top 
of  her  voice.  She  ran  and  jumped,  jested  with  the  maids, 
and  was  even  quite  successful  in  mimicking  the  Madrid 
accent  which  Juana  had  been  recently  acquiring.  This 
sudden  attack  of  obstreperous  joy  formed  a  lovely  con- 
trast with  the  usual  seriousness  of  her  character.  Miguel, 
who  knew  the  reason  of  it,  looked  at  her  with  delight. 


MAXIM1NA.  101 

When  he  was  entirely  recovered,  it  was  incumbent  upon 
them  to  attend  mass  at  San  Sebastian.  Maximina  sug- 
gested it,  and  asked  him  with  so  much  humility  that  he 
hadn't  the  heart  to  object. 

The  former  colegiala  of  the  convent  of  Vergara  could 
not  help  mixing  religion  with  all  the  acts  of  her  life. 
Miguel,  in  spite  of  his  own  lack  of  faith,  found  his  wife's 
piety  so  poetical,  so  innocent,  that  it  never  once  passed 
through  his  mind  to  disaffect  her  of  it.  "If  ever  it  be- 
came hypocritical,  it  would  be  quite  another  thing,"  he  said 
to  himself. 

Consequently  he  was  not  at  all  averse  to  going  with  her 
every  Sunday  to  mass  ;  besides,  Maximina  for  many  months 
could  not  bring  herself  to  set  foot  in  the  street  alone. 

After  a  while,  however,  the  brigadier's  son  began  to 
forget  his  duty,  and  under  the  pretext  that  San  Sebastian 
was  near  at  hand,  he  would  si&y  at  home  Sunday  morn- 
ings, while  Maximina,  with  heroic  courage,  would  assume 
the  terrible  risk  of  going  to  church  all  by  herself. 

Still  she  suffered  greatly  ;  she  imagined  that  eveiybody 
despised  her,  that  they  were  going  to  say  impudent  things 
to  her ;  the  unfriendly  glances  so  much  in  fashion  among 
the  natives  of  Madrid  filled  her  with  terror ;  she  could 
have  wished  to  be  invisible ! 

But  she  did  not  venture  to  tell  her  fears  to  Miguel,  lest 
she  should  vex  him,  and  cause  him  to  go  to  mass  with  her 
against  his  inclinations. 

One  morning,  a  little  while  after  she  had  started  out 
for  church,  Miguel  heard  the  bell  ring  violently  ;  then  the 
library  door  was  flung  open,  and  Maximina  came  in,  pale 
as  a  sheet. 

"  What  has  happened?"  he  demanded,  rising. 

Maximina  dropped  into  a  chair,  hid  her  face  in  her 
hands,  and  began  to  weep. 


102  MAXIMINA. 

Miguel  anxiously  insisted  :  "  Did  you  feel  ill?" 

The  young  wife  made  an  affirmative  gesture. 

"  How  was  it?     Tell  me." 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  in  a  weak  and  hesitating 
voice.  "  I  had  been  in  church  but  a  few  minutes.  .  .  . 
I  began  to  feel  sick.  Then  the  pictures  of  the  saints 
began  to  waver  before  my  eyes.  ...  I  felt  as  though 
my  sight  were  leaving  me.  .  .  .  And  without  knowing 
what  I  was  doing  I  started  to  run.  .  .  .  And  before  I 
knew  it  I  found  myself  near  the  grand  altar.  ...  I 
heard  the  people  saying :  '  What  is  it  ?  what  is  it  ? '  and 
that  there  was  a  confusion.  ...  I  turned  around,  and 
without  looking  at  any  one,  I  crossed  the  church  again, 
and  came  out.  ..." 

Miguel  succeeded  in  calming  her ;  he  made  the  servant 
bring  her  a  cup  of  lime  juice,  and  promised  that  he  would 
not  let  her  go  to  church  again  alone. 

After  a  while,  when  she  was  entirely  recovered,  he 
asked  her  a  question  in  a  whisper,  which  she,  dropping 
her  eyes,  answered  in  the  negative.  Then  with  a  smiling 
face  he  whispered  a  few  words  in  her  ear.  .  .  .  The 
3'oung  wife,  when  she  heard  them,  trembled,  fastened  her 
eyes  on  him  with  an  anxious  expression  for  a  moment, 
and,  confused  and  blushing,  threw  herself  into  his  arms, 
murmuring :  — 

"  Oh,  don't  deceive  me  !  Don't  deceive  me,  for  Heaven's 
sake ! " 

VIII. 

FROM  th'is  day  forth  the  serenity  and  sweetness  which 
we  have  said  was  characteristic  of  Maximina's  face  began 
to  gain  a  more  concentrated,  more  delicate  aspect,  like 
the  mystic  expression  of  saints  assured  of  heaven.  She 
did  not  speak  of  the  occurrence  with  her  husband  again, 


MAXIMINA.  103 

aiid  when  he  alluded  to  it,  she  dropped  her  smiling  eyes, 
and  her  face  flushed  a  little. 

But  Miguel  understood  perfectly  that  she  was  thinking 
of  nothing  else  ;  that  the  bliss  of  coming  maternity  filled 
her  whole  nature,  her  life,  and  her  being.  He  also  was 
delighted,  not  so  much  at  the  new  trust  with  which  nature 
was  going  to  honor  him,  as  at  the  spectacle  of  his  wife's 
happiness,  and  in  secretly  watching  in  her  eyes,  and  in 
all  her  movements,  the  adorable  mystery  that  was  taking 
place  in  her  soul. 

When  they  walked  along  the  street,  he  noticed  that  she 
cast  quick  and  anxious  glances  at  the  linen  shops,  where 
baby-caps  and  children's  wardrobes  were  on  exhibition. 
And  divining  that  she  would  enjoy  stopping,  he  would 
make  some  excuse  for  asking  the  price  of  shirts  or  hand- 
kerchiefs, and  let  her  amuse  herself  looking  at  infant 
wardrobes. 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  would  say  afterwards,  "  do  you 
know  how  much  baby  shirts  cost  a  dozen?" 

"  No,"  he  would  answer,  laughing. 

"I  do,  though!" 

One  day,  as  he  was  passing  by  the  chamber  door  into 
the  library,  he  caught  sight  of  her  looking  into  the  ward- 
robe mirror ;  and  he  was  surprised,  because  no  woman 
was  ever  freer  from  vanity  and  coquetry  than  she ;  but 
his  surprise  was  changed  into  amusement  when  he  saw 
that  she  was  looking  at  her  profile  to  see  whether  her 
form  had  changed.  But  lest  he  should  embarrass  her  he 
went  out  on  his  tiptoes. 

Another  day,  as  they  were  walking  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Retire,  they  happened  to  see  a  white  hearse  in  which 
was  a  child's  coffin.  Maximina  looked  at  it  with  an  ex- 
pression of  deep  pain,  and  watched  it  until  it  disappeared 
from  sight;  then,  with  a  gentle  sigh,  she  exclaimed  :  — 


104  MAXIMINA. 

"  Oh,  how  sorry  it  makes  me  feel  for  children  that  die  !  " 

Miguel  smiled  and  made  no  reply,  reading  her  thoughts. 

While  time  glided  away  in  this  sweet  and  delightful 
manner  for  our  young  couple,  Marroquiu ,  the  hairy  Mar- 
roquin,  was  trying  to  accomplish  his  own  ends ;  the 
nation  was  over  a  volcano,  and  the  former  professor 
of  the  Colegio  de  la  Merced,  secretly,  and  in  company 
with  our  friend,  Merelo  y  Garcia,  was  not  behindhand  in 
stirring  the  flames  of  civil  discord. 

Not  a  night  passed  without  both  of  them  uttering 
bloody  prognostications  for  the  future  in  the  Caf6  de 
Levante ;  the  number  of  times  that  institutions  had  been 
crumbled  into  dust  on  the  marble  tables  was  beyond  be- 
lief ;  the  waiters,  from  listening  to  democratic  discourses, 
served  the  customers  badly ;  more  then  once  the  secret 
police  had  visited  the  establishment,  so  said  the  disturbers 
of  the  public  peace  ;  but  there  had  been  no  arrests,  and 
this  made  Marroquin  desperate.  He  enjoyed,  beyond 
measure,  speaking  so  as  to  be  heard  of  all  who  came  to 
the  table,  at  the  same  time  fastening  his  gaze  on  some 
peaceable  customer,  and  making  tremendous  boasts,  so  as 
to  rouse  his  curiosity. 

"Don  Servando,"  he  would  shout  to  a  gentlemen  sit- 
ting some  distance  from  him,  ' '  do  you  expect  to  go  out 
for  a  walk  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  as  always,  Senor  Marroquiu." 

"  You  had  better  not  take  your  wife  and  children." 

"Man  alive  !  why  not?" 

"Oh,  nothing,  nothing  !     That  is  all  I  have  to  say." 

But  the  revolutionary  professor  enjoyed  most  one  even- 
ing when  he  succeeded  in  bringing  to  the  cafe  his  old 
friend  and  colleague  Don  Leandro. 

Don  Leaudro's  name  was  still  on  the  faculty*  of  the 
Colegio  de  la  Merced,  which  was  no  longer  under  the  direc- 


MAXIMINA.  105 

tion  of  the  ex-captain  of  artillery,  but  of  the  chaplain 
Don  Juan  Vigil.  Don  Leandro  was  the  only  one  of  the 
old  professors  left,  and  this  was  because  he  was  unhappy 
and  patiently  endured  the  caprices  of  the  chaplain,  who 
now  more  than  ever  took  delight  in  tormenting  him,  and 
lavishing  upon  him  the  tremendous  gifts  of  sarcasm  where- 
with he  was  endowed  by  nature. 

Marroquin  met  him  one  Sunday  in  the  street,  and  after 
a  hearty  greeting,  as  his  custom  was,  he  began  to  say 
harsh  things  of  the  cure",  which  was  also  a  habit  of  his.. 
This  flattered  the  worthy  Don  Leandro  immensely,  though 
he  affected  not  to  listen  to  him,  for  he  detested  backbit- 
ing, and  was  greatly  afraid  of  hell,  though  not  so  much  of 
purgatory. 

So  that  Marroquin,  in  spite  of  his  depraved  ideas, 
served  as  a  powerful  temptation  for  his  friend  to  go  into 
El  Levante  and  have  a  glass  of  water,  for  example.  Don 
Leaudro,  no  matter  what  opprobriums  the  heretical  pro- 
fessor heaped  upon  his  born  enemy,  acquiesced  with  a 
smile  ;  and  even,  from  time  to  time,  he  himself  would  let 
slip  some  spiteful  word,  promising  before  the  tribunal  of 
his  conscience  to  confess  it  immediately. 

But  the  trouble  was,  Don  Leandro's  confessor  was  the 
very  same  chaplain,  who,  like  his  glorious  predecessor, 
Gregory  VII.,  aspired  to  possess  the  key  to  the  con- 
sciences of  his  subjects,  and  would  not  hear  to  any 
alumnus  or  dependent  of  the  college  confiding  his  load 
of  sins  to  any  other  bosom  than  his. 

This,  according  to  all  logic,  caused  poor  Don  Leandro 
great  tribulation,  who,  as  he  went  often  to  confession, 
found  himself  obliged  to  tell  the  chaplain  all  the  evil 
thoughts  that  he  had  about  him  ;  but  the  torment  that  the 
latter  inflicted  was  much  greater  and  more  cruel.  Often- 
times, while  Don  Leandro  was  unbosoming  himself,  the 


106  MAXIMINA. 

confessor  heaved  deep  sighs  and  made  the  confessional 
creak  as  though  his  chair  pinched  him. 

He  was  tempted  to  dismiss  him  from  the  college,  but  he 
felt  that  such  a  thing  would  be  an  attack  on  the  sacred 
character  of  the  confessional,  since  Don  Leandro  did  his 
duty  conscientiously,  and  to  turn  him  off  required  that  he 
should  make  use  of  his  knowledge  acquired  in  the  tribunal 
of  penance. 

Afterwards  it  occurred  to  him  to  send  him  to  some  one 
else  to  make  his  confession ;  but  the  demon  of  curiosity 
had  firm  possession  of  him,  and,  though  every  day  he 
promised  himself  to  give  him  notice,  he  never  reached  the 
point  of  doing  so,  and  continued  to  hear  his  own  deeds 
criticised  without  the  power  to  defend  himself. 

"  Bardjoles!  what  a  penance  God  has  put  upon  me," 
he  would  say  afterwards,  as  he  strode  up  and  down  his 
room.  "  How  I  should  like  to  give  this  idiot  a  couple  of 
raps ! " 

Don  Leandro,  when  he  entered  El  Levante,  had  no  idea 
that  he  was  going  to  meet  so  man}"  gentlemen,  and  still 
less  that  there  were  among  them  a  number  of  impious 
revolutionists,  enemies  of  "  all  religious  restraint."  Ac- 
cordingly, when  he  began  to  hear  them  speak  of  the 
government  in  the  terms  which  they  were  wont  to  use, 
he  flushed  deeply  and  began  to  cast  surreptitious  glances 
in  all  directions,  and  especially  at  Marroquin. 

"See  here,  Seilor  Marroquin!"  he  said  in  an  under- 
tone, "  let  us  talk  about  something  else." 

Marroquin,  smiling  in  a  superior  manner,  replied:  — 

"Don't  have  any  fears,  my  friend  Don  Leandro;  the 
police  have  come  in  here  already  several  times  ;  but  they 
did  not  see  fit  to  lay  their  hands  on  any  one  :  if  they 
should,  the  affair  is  now  so  well  matured  it  would  be  the 
signal  for  the  eruption  to  break  out." 


MAXIMINA.  107 

"  AVhat  eruption?" 

"The  revolution,  man  alive  !  " 

' '  Santo  Oristo  I  Do  you  know,  Senor  Marroquin,  these 
things  are  very  serious,  very  serious  !  If  you  will  not 
take  it  in  bad  part,  I  should  like  to  be  going.  .  .  .  Any- 
way, I  have  something  that  I  must  be  doing.  .  .  ." 

Marroquin  took  him  by  the  arm,  and  compelled  him  to 
sit  down  again. 

"Don't  you  have  any  apprehension,  my  dear  friend! 
Nothing  can  happen  to  you,  at  any  rate,  because  you  do 
not,  like  me,  figure  in  all  the  lists  which  the  police  have 
been  sending  to  the  authorities." 

"  No  matter  ;  if  it  does  not  make  any  difference  to  you, 
we  will  change  the  subject." 

The  subject  was  changed,  indeed,  but  the  topic  which 
followed  was  still  more  terrible  and  demoniacal. 

They  talked  of  nothing  else  than  the  queen,  and  any 
one  can  imagine  what  could  have  been  said  of  that  august 
lady,  — that  she  was  going  to  lose  her  crown  and  go  into 
exile. 

The  moment  the  professor  heard  these  atrocious  re- 
marks, he  grew  livid,  and  it  was  impossible  to  keep  him 
longer ;  he  left  without  saying  good  by,  and  directed  his 
steps  toward  his  college,  which  he  reached  in  a  breathless 
condition.  .  .  . 

The  poor  man  had  the  innocence  to  relate  this  episode 
to  the  mayordomo,  who  lost  no  time  in  reporting  it  to  the 
director. 

Unlucky  Don  Leandro !  For*  many  days  he  had  to 
endure  the  chaplain's  grievous  and  coarse  mockery.  .  .  . 
What  troubled  him  most  was,  that  before  the  scholars  he 
called  him  conspirator,  in  that  sarcastic  tone  affected  by 
the  cure"  in  such  cases.  At  other  times  he  nicknamed  him 
the  "Venetian  conspirator,"  which  made  the  boys  laugh, 


108  MAXIMINA. 

and  as  Don  Leandro  said,  very  truly,  "The  dignity  of 
the  professorship  was  undermined." 

The  labors  of  our  friend  Mendoza,  otherwise  Brutandor, 
in  behalf  of  the  revolutionary  cause,  were  employed  in  a 
higher  circle  than  those  of  Marroquin,  Merelo,  and  the 
other  small  fry  of  the  liberal  school.  He  had  disappeared 
for  the  time  being,  as  we  already  know,  and  in  Spain  the 
fact  of  a  person  disappearing  is  something  that  gives  in- 
finite importance,  and  often  imperishable  glory.  For,  in- 
deed, when  a  man  disappears,  the  public  rightly  presume 
that  it  must  be  for  working  out  in  secret  great  and  note- 
worthy undertakings.  Those  of  Mendoza,  although  we 
know  not  what  they  were,  must  have  been  portentous,  if 
what  was  said  was  true,  since  they  obliged  him  to  remain 
concealed  in  Madrid  more  than  three  months,  changing 
his  concealment  and  his  disguise  any  number  of  times. 
Miguel  had  known  something  of  his  life  and  perils,  but  at 
last  he  lost  track  of  him. 

This  was  the  state  of  affairs,  when  one  evening,  after 
dinner,  while  Rivera  was  sitting  in  the  library  with  Maxi- 
mina  on  his  knee,  there  was  a  tremendous  ring  at  the 
door-bell. 

The  young  woman  was  on  her  feet  in  a  second. 

"  Who  can  that  be  at  this  time  o'  day  ?  "  queried  Miguel. 
"Has  either  of  the  girls  gone  out?" 

"I  think  not." 

Just  then  Juana  came  in. 

"  Sefiorito,  it  is  a  waiter  from  the  caf6  wants  to  speak 
with  you." 

"A  waiter  from  the  cafe"?  I  don't  remember  that  I 
have  any  account  anywhere.  .  .  .  Tell  him  to  come  in." 

"  Wait !  wait !  "  exclaimed  Maximina  ;  "let  me  get  out 
by  this  door  !  " 

And  she  ran  out  by  the  parlor  door,  as  was  always  her 
custom,  when  any  of  Rivera's  visitors  came. 


MAXIMINA.  -  109 

At  that  instant  the  waiter  appeared,  and  Miguel  could 
scarcely  recognize  under  his  disguise  his  friend  Mendoza. 

"Perico!" 

"  Shhhhhhhhh ! "  exclaimed  Mendoza,  putting  on  an 
expression  of  terrible  fear. 

And  he  hastened  to  bolt  the  door. 

"What  is  up?"  asked  Miguel,  affecting  great  anxiety. 

Mendoza  sat  down,  heaved  a  sigh,  and  answered 
frankly :  — 

"  Nothing." 

"I  thought  so." 

Brutandor,  without  heeding  the  irony  of  those  words, 
began  to  whisper,  bringing  his  mouth  close  to  his  friend's 
ear :  — 

"  I  have  been  for  the  last  fortnight  at  La  Florida,  hid- 
ing in  the  house  of  the  laundrymen.  .  .  ." 

"  Man !  if  I  had  known  it,  I  should  have  made  you  a 
visit." 

"Don't  say  anything  about  visits  !  They  might  follow 
you,  and  get  their  hands  on  me." 

"  And  how  have  you  enjoyed  your  visit  in  the  coun- 
try?" 

"  I  had  a  pretty  fair  sort  of  time.  There  was  only  one 
bed  in  the  house ;  in  the  night  while  the  laundrymen 
were  asleep,  I  would  go  out,  and  take  a  walk  along  the 
river  bank,  and  at  sunrise,  when  the  men  were  up,  I  used 
to  go  to  bed." 

"  How  cool  and  delightful  it  must  have  been  !  " 

"  Well,  sometimes  it  would  nauseate  me  a  little  ;  do  you 
wonder?  The  Countess  de  Rios  used  to  send  me  my 
meals  with  great  precautions,  changing  the  servant  every 
time.  .  .  .  But  day  before  yesterday  the  laundryman  did 
not  sleep  in  the  house,  and  this,  as  you  can  easily  imag- 
ine, worried  me.  .  .  ." 


110  MAXIMINA. 

"  That's  clear  ;  when  laundrymen  don't  sleep  at  home, 
it's  a  ver}'  bad  sign." 

"This  morning  I  saw  him  with  two  bad-looking  men 
.  .  .  suspicious  characters,  and  so,  fearing  that  they  might 
hand  me  over  to  the  police,  I  decided  to  leave  the  place. 
The  waiter  in  a  wretched  cafe"  there  sold  me  this  disguise, 
and  after  it  got  to  be  dark,  I  made  rny  escape  without  say- 
ing a  word.  I  thought  of  going  to  Las  Ventas  del  Espiritu 
Santo,  but  the  police  keep  track  of  all  such  places.  Then  a 
brilliant  idea  struck  me, — that  of  coming  to  your  house. 
How  the  deuce  would  they  ever  think  of  my  being  here  !  A 
lady-love  of  mine  years  ago  used  to  hide  her  letters  among 
her  father's  papers,  and  he  would  go  hunting  for  them  all 
over  the  house." 

"So  that  you  stole  the  idea  from  your  sweetheart? 
You  ought  to  be  original  even  at  the  cost  of  arrest !  .  .  . 
However,  I  am  delighted  that  you  came.  I  cannot  help 
being  flattered  greatly  to  have  in  my  house  a  conspirator 
of  so  much  importance.  .  .  .  For  }-ou  do  not  realize  the 
prestige  that  you  enjoy,  nor  what  is  said  about  you  on 
this  account.  ..." 

"  Really?"  exclaimed  Mendoza,  flushing  with  pleasure. 

"I  assure  you.  You  are  called  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  revolution.  .  .  .  But,  my  dear  sir,  what  is  worth 
much  costs  much ;  the  greater  the  name  you  win  among 
the  revolutionists,  the  more  exposed  you  will  find  yourself 
to  whatever  noose  the  government  may  tie  for  you.  If 
they  catch  you  now,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  you  won't 
get  off  without  being  shot." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  asked  Brutandor,  growing  fright- 
fully pale. 

"  I  do,  indeed.  .  .  .  But  don't  be  alarmed  ;.they  won't 
think  of  coming  here  after  you." 

"  See  here,  I  beg  of  you,  keep  the  servants  from  know- 


MAXIMINA.  Ill 

ing  anything  about  it,  because  you  see  some  little  word 
might  get  out  through  them  .  .  .  and  I  should  be  lost ! " 

"It  is  rather  a  hard  matter  to  deceive  them,"  replied 
Miguel,  laughing  at  the  tone  in  which  his  friend  spoke 
those  last  words. 

Mendoza  took  up  his  abode  in  the  house ;  but  first  it 
was  necessary  to  have  a  trunk  brought  from  his  lodging, 
and  for  him  to  change  his  clothes  in  Miguel's  bedroom ; 
when  this  was  accomplished  he  went  out  cautiousl}7,  and 
soon  returned  like  an  ordinary  visitor. 

By  these  manoeuvres  he  deceived  himself,  and  was  con- 
vinced that  he  had  deceived  the  servants.  .  .  . 

Maximina  did  not  fancy  having  the  guest.  She  was  so 
happy  living  alone  with  her  husband  !  Nevertheless,  with 
her  usual  docility  to  his  wishes,  she  said  not  a  word,  nor 
showed  in  her  face  any  sign  of  dissatisfaction. 

While  Miguel  was  away  from  home,  Mendoza  spent  his 
time  with  her,  but  whole  hours  passed  without  their  ex- 
changing a  dozen  words.  The  young  girl  of  Pasajes  was 
not  a  very  deep  thinker.  And  Mendoza,  as  we  know,  was 
in  the  habit  of  keeping  to  himself  the  good  things  that  came 
to  his  mind.  Still  she  watched  him  closely  out  of  the 
corner  of  her  eyes,  and  afterwards  gave  her  husband  the 
benefit  of  her  impressions.  Though  she  tried  to  make  the 
best  of  them,  it  was  evident  that  they  were  not  very 
flattering. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  Mendoza  hasn't  pleased  you  very 
well." 

Maximina  smiled,  and  said  nothing. 

"  Well,  he  is  an  unfortunate." 

"  I  imagine  that  he  is  not  as  fond  of  you  as  you  are  of 
him ;  that  nothing  in  the  world  is  quite  as  important  as 
himself." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  but  it  can't  be  denied  that  he  is 
simpdtico.  His  egotism  amuses  me  ;  it  is  like  a  child's." 


112  MAXIMINA. 

Maximina,  as  her  habit  was,  sat  silently  trying  to  evolve 
through  her  mental  consciousness  the  meaning  of  simpd- 
tico1;  but  her  efforts  remained  unsuccessful. 

Five  days  after  his  arrival',  Mendoza  received  a  letter 
from  the  Countess  de  Rios,  inclosing  another  from  her 
husband.  Both  reached  their  destination  by  passing 
through  various  hands.  The  general  said  that  the  party 
who  furnished  the  money  for  publishing  La  Independencia 
gave  him  to  understand  that  he  would  not  give  another 
quarter  unless  he  were  guaranteed  the  thirty  thousand 
duros  which  he  had  already  spent.  As  he  could  not 
address  himself  to  any  of  his  friends,  and  judged  that 
his  wife  was  not  a  suitable  person  for  the  transaction,  he 
charged  him  at  all  hazards  to  have  an  interview  with  the 
"  white  horse,"  and  try  to  get  a  subscription  that  would 
be  effective  in  pacifying  him,  because  the  paper  had  been 
a  constant  loss  to  them  in  these  critical  times. 

Mendoza  handed  the  letter  to  Rivera. 

Although  he  had  no  connection  with  the  financial  ad- 
ministration of  La  Independencia,  Rivera  had  for  some 
time  been  conversant  with  the  monetary  difficulties  with 
which  the  journal  was  struggling.  After  reading  the  letter 
carefully,  he  said,  looking  up  :  — 

"Well,  what  now?" 

"Well,  as  you  can  imagine,  I  cannot  undertake  this 
commission,  because  I  do  not  go  out  of  doors.  .  .  ." 

"And  so  you  want  me  to  fill  the  gap,  do  you?" 

Mendoza  was  silent,  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
ground. 

"  Well  then,  my  friend,"  said  the  brigadier's  son  in  a 
determined  voice,  "  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  I  will  not 
undertake  to  ask  money  or  guarantees  of  money  from 
any  one." 

1  A  word  similar  in  meaning  to  our  "  sympathetic,"  but  not  quite 
synonymous  ;  more  akin  to  "  congenial." 


MAXIM  IN  A.  113 

Both  were  silent  for  some  time  after  these  words.  At 
last  Mendoza,  without  lifting  his  eyes  from  the  floor,  and 
evidently  disturbed,  began  to  speak  :  — 

"  I  believe  that  if  you  were  willing,  the  matter  might 
be  arranged  without  asking  money  of  any  one.  .  .  .  P^gui- 
buru  will  be  satisfied  if  only  your  name  is  endorsed,  and 
he  will  furnish  all  that  is  necessary  each  month.  .  .  ." 

Miguel  looked  at  him  keenly,  while  the  other  stood  still 
with  downcast  eyes  ;  then  he  said,  with  a  laugh  :  — 

' '  You  are  indeed  a  man  of  happy  ideas  !  If  you  die 
before  I  do,  I  shall  be  able  to  take  your  skull,  and  say 
more  complimentary  things  than  Hamlet  said  about 
Yorick's." 

Then  he  suddenly  grew  serious,  and  began  to  pace  up 
and  down  the  room  with  the  letter  in  his  hands.  After  a 
while  he  stopped  in  front  of  his  friend,  who  was  still 
standing  in  the  position  of  a  whipped  schoolboy,  and 
said  :  — 

"  And  who  is  going  to  guarantee  me  the  general  pay- 
ing those  thirty  thousand  duros  ?  " 

"  The  general  is  a  man  of  honor." 

"  Eguiburu,  as  you  well  know,  will  not  be  satisfied  with 
such  money  ;  he  wants  either  gold  or  silver." 

"Besides,  the  count  has  many  wealthy  friends;  some 
of  them,  as  you  well  know,  are  compromised  in  this  move- 
ment, and  if  the  whole  debt  of  the  paper  were  put  upon 
any  one  of  them  it  would  be  paid." 

The  matter  was  discussed  for  a  long  time  between 
them  ;  Miguel  in  his  ordinary  jesting  tone,  Mendoza  with 
his  imperturbable  gravity,  and  showing  no  impatience, 
but  holding  firmly  to  his  reasons. 

Rivera  was  over-persuaded.  He  finally  yielded,  and 
consented  to  endorse  the  paper.  Over  and  above  his 
friend's  entreaties  there  was  the  interest  which  he  felt  in 


114  MAXIMINA. 

the  success  of  the  journal,  and  the  affection  which  he  felt 
for  it ;  and  these  influenced  him  to  take  the  step.  On  the 
other  hand,  although  he  jested  at  the  general's  honor,  he 
did  not  doubt  it,  and  was  certain  that  he  would  not  be 
"left  on  the  bull's  horns." 

When,  on  the  next  day,  he  told  Maximina  what  he  had 
done,  she  said  nothing,  and  went  on  working  at  the  edg- 
ing which  she  had  in  her  hands. 

"What  do  you  think  about  it?  Did  I  make  a  mis- 
take?" 

Maximina  lifted  her  sweet,  smiling  eyes. 

"Do  you  ask  me?  I  know  nothing  of  business.  Be- 
sides, for  me,  whatever  you  do  is  always  right." 

Miguel  kissed  her,  and  was  convinced  —  that  he  had 
committed  a  great  piece  of  folly. 

A  few  days  later,  when  Mendoza  and  Miguel  were 
alone  in  the  library,  the  prescript  told  his  friend  a  secret 
that  filled  him  with  astonishment. 

"  I  have  something  to  tell  you,  Miguel.  ..." 

"What  is  it?" 

"I  am  going  to  be  married." 

"How  glad  I  am  !  Let  us  know  who  the  unfortunate 
being  is  who  has  had  such  bad  taste  !  " 

"I  am  to  marry  Lucia  Poblacion,  General  Bembo's 
widow." l 

We  ought  to  remark,  if  we  have  not  already  done  so, 
that  the  gigantic  Don  Pablo  had  died  seven  months  before 
in  Porto  Rico. 

Miguel  was  dumfounded,  and  could  not  forbear  a  ges- 
ture of  disgust.  This  man  knew  what  sort  of  a  woman 
la  generala  Bembo  was ;  he  was  perfect!}'  aware  of  the 
relations  which  he  himself  had  maintained  with  her.  And 

1  Lucia  Poblacion,  la  generala  of  "Riverita,"  was  the  lady  to  whom 
Miguel,  when  a  young  man,  had  been  quite  too  attentive. 


MAXIMINA.  115 

he  had  the  heart  to  make  her  his  wife  !  For  several 
minutes  he  remained  without  having  a  word  to  say,  a 
thing  that  had  not  often  happened  to  him  in  his  life 
before  ;  then  he  murmured  :  — 

"Very  good,  very  good,  I  congratulate  you." 

"As  soon  as  her  year  of  mourning  is  over,  which  will 
be  within  five  months,  we  shall  be  married.  She  is  a  very 
agreeable  woman.  .  .  .  Now  that  I  have  become  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  her,  -I  am  persuaded  that  all  the 
gossip  about  her  is  pure  fiction  ;  the  poor  lady  is  the 
victim  of  a  few  fools  who,  out  of  disappointed  jealousy, 
have  given  her  a  bad  name." 

Miguel's  eyes  flashed  angrily  ;  he  imagined  that  these 
words  were  directed  against  him,  and  he  had  a  ferocious 
sarcasm  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue ;  but  he  succeeded  in 
suppressing  it,  feeling  that  the  situation  in  which  his 
friend  was  putting  himself  was  some  excuse  for  him. 

' '  And  if  you  did  not  think  so  you  would  do  very  wrong 
to  marry  her.  ...  I  have  heard  it  said  that  Lucia  has  a 
snug  little  fortune;  is  that  so?"  he  added,  allowing  it  to 
be  clearly  seen  what  were,  in  his  opinion,  the  motives  of 
such  a  marriage. 

Mendoza,  though  rather  obtuse,  perceived  it,  and  re- 
plied angrily :  — 

"I  don't  know,  I'm  sure.  ...  I  met  Lucia  at  Borell's, 
and  from  the  very  first  I  was  delighted  with  her.  She  is 
so  refined  and  so  full  of  noble  sentiments.  The  poor 
woman  was  obliged  to  marry  a  man  old  enough  to  be 
her  father ;  it  would  not  have  been  strange  if  she  had 
gone  astray ;  nevertheless,  she  succeeded  in  preserving 
her 

"Don  Pablo  must  have  had  a  pretty  good  thing  in 
America,  besides  a  high  rent  for  his  house,"  said  Miguel, 
not  heeding  Mendoza's  boasts. 


116 

"La  Seiiora  de  Borell  can  say  that  it  was  she  who 
made  this  match.  You  can't  imagine  how  much  she  loves 
Lucia,  and  what  a  high  opinion  she  has  of  her." 

"It  is  said  that  Don  Pablo's  fortune  has  been  greatly 
diminished  in  these  last  few  years  ;  but  as  more  came 
in  from  America  than  was  spent  in  Spain  there  ought 
to  be  a  good  income,  and  half  of  it  belongs  to  Lucia  in 
her  own  right.  On  the  other  hand,  her  children  are  young, 
and  the  income  of  the  whole  estate  must  suffice  for  them 
for  many  years." 

Miguel  kept  insisting  on  this  point,  as  he  saw  that  it 
annoyed  his  friend,  and  he  wanted  to  retaliate  on  him  for 
what  he  had  said  just  before.  He  showed  so  much  an- 
noyance at  this  ill-assorted  marriage,  when  in  the  evening 
he  told  Maximiua  about  it,  that  she  could  not  refrain  from 
saying:  — 

"Why  are  you  so  put  out  about  it?  Even  though 
Perico  marries  for  money  he  is  not  the  first  one  who  ever 
did  such  a  thing.  The  only  thing  that  surprises  me  is, 
that  this  lady  consents  to  marry  seven  mouths  after  her 
husband's  death." 

As  Miguel  could  not  well  tell  his  wife  the  reasons  why 
he  was  indignant,  since  he  was  trying  to  keep  from  her  the 
knowledge  of  certain  social  evils,  and  on  the  other  hand 
he  was  afraid  that  the  jealous}*  which  she  had  once  shown 
at  Pasajes  might  be  renewed,  he  suddenly  calmed  down 
and  turned  it  into  a  laugh. 

Still  he  could  not  divest  himself  of  the  feeling  of  dis- 
gust which  the  news  had  caused.  Hitherto  he  had  for- 
given all  his  friend's  outbreaks  of  egotism,  but  what  he 
was  now  going  to  do  was  too  low  for  him  to  overlook  it. 
And  thus  it  was  that  he  could  not  help  feeling  a  secret 
relief  when,  owing  to  a  certain  event  that  followed,  Men- 
doza  decided  to  leave  his  house. 


MAXIMINA.  117 

He  was  talking  one  day  with  one  of  the  maids,  and  his 
solemnly  benevolent  face  made  it  evident  that  he  was  not 
at  all  insensible  to  the  girl's  black  and  roguish  eyes  ;  and 
she,  on  her  part,  was  not  less  attracted  by  the  guest's 
healthy  physique  and  fresh,  ruddy  face.  While  she  was 
arranging  his  room  and  constantly  turning  round  to  reply 
to  his  remarks,  he  was  sitting  in  an  easy-chair  with  his 
feet  stretched  out  and  with  a  newspaper  in  his  hand. 

"How  glad  I  should  be,  seiiorito,  to  have  you  gentle- 
men succeed  ! "  said  the  girl,  after  a  loug  interval  of 
silence. 

"  Succeed  in  what,  Placida?  " 

"In  getting  control  of  the  government  ...  go  along! 
.  .  .  and  rule." 

11 1  don't  concern  myself  with  such  things,"  rejoined 
Mendoza,  becoming  suddenly  serious. 

"Come,  come,  seiiorito,"  said  the  maid,  "don't  you 
suppose  that  we  know  all  about  it  ?  Then  why  don't  you 
ever  go  out-doors  ?  You  are  afraid  of  the  peelers l !  .  .  . 
The  devil  take  'em  !  .  .  .  Ever  since  one  wanted  to 
carry  me  off  to  the  lockup  for  shaking  a  carpet,  I  can't 
bear  to  see  them  even  in  a  picture." 

' '  Who  told  you  that  I  didn't  go  out  of  doors  for  f ear 
of  the  peelers?"  demanded  Mendoza,  growing  pale. 

"Why,  the  shopkeeper  down  stairs.  He  told  Juana 
and  I  that  we  had  a  very  important  gentleman  hiding  in 
our  house,  but  that  it  would  not  be  much  longer  'cause 
everything  was  all  ready  for  the  revolution.  .  .  .  Don't 
let  it  worry  you,  senorito,"  she  added,  noticing  how  palo 
Mendoza  had  become,  "the  shopkeeper  won't  say  nothing 
'cause  he's  more  liberal  than  Riego.  .  .  .  He  wouldn't, 
he  wouldn't,  for  mighty  little  good  it  would  do  him  to 
have  a  war !  " 

1  OuindiUas,  red  peppers. 


118  MAX1MINA. 

Mendoza,  by  this  time  quite  livid,  leaped  from  his  chair, 
and  without  replying,  left  the  room,  reeling,  and  hastened 
to  Miguel's  study. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Rivera,  seeing  his  friend's 
excitement. 

"Nothing,"  replied  Mendoza,  in  a  feeble  voice,  drop- 
ping into  an  easy-chair,  and  covering  his  face  with  his 
hands,  —  "only  my  head  is  not  safe  on  my  shoulders  !" 

"That's  what  I  have  always  told  you;  it  is  quite  too 
big!" 

"  Let  up  on  your  jokes,  Miguel !  The  thing  is  very 
serious.  It  is  already  known  that  I  am  hiding  here,  in 
this  house,  and  when  it  is  least  expected  they  will  come 
and  take  me." 

"  Who  told  you  all  that?  " 

"  Placida.  .  .  .  The  shopkeeper  down  stairs  knows 
all  about  it.  Just  imagine,  who  won't  know  it  by  this 
time !  .  .  .  .  I  cannot  stay  here  another  day ;  I  must 
find  another  retreat.  The  best  way  would  be  to  leave 
Madrid." 

Under  other  circumstances  Miguel  would  have  dis- 
suaded him  from  this  resolve,  because  he  was  perfectly 
convinced  that  his  friend  was  in  no  danger  in  one  place 
any  more  than  in  another ;  but  for  the  reasons  above  sug- 
gested he  took  pains  not  to  hinder  him. 

After  a  little  discussion  it  was  decided  that  Mendoza 
should  make  his  escape  that  very  afternoon,  because 
they  were  more  watchful  at  night,  and  might  get  wind  of 
him.  His  idea  was  to  go  to  Las  Ventas  del  Espiritu 
Santo  disguised  as  a  water-carrier,  and  from  there,  if 
there  were  danger,  he  would  leave  Madrid  by  the  North- 
ern Railway  :  Miguel  agreed  to  get  him  a  pass. 

In  fact,  the  water-carrier  for  the  house  sold  him  his 
suit,  which  was  certainly  not  remarkably  new  or  cleanly. 


MAXIMINA.  119 

After  spending  an  hour  in  making  up  his  disguise, 
touching  his  cheeks  with  vermilion,  dishevelling  his  hair, 
soiling  his  hands,  etc.,  our  revolutionist  went  to  the  library, 
with  his  cask  on  his  shoulder,  and  stood  before  the  look- 
ing-glass. 

"I  recognize  myself!  "  he  exclaimed,  with  such  a  look 
of  anxiety  that  Miguel  and  Maximina  laughed  till  their 
sides  ached. 

IX. 

MIGUEL'S  cousin  Enrique  had  at  last  succeeded  in 
embracing  the  divine  phantasm  of  glory  in  pursuit  of 
which  so  many  men  run  in  vain.  It  was  in  the  plaza 
of  Vallecas,  on  the  day  of  Our  Lady  of  Carmen.  The 
entertainment1  had  been  organized  at  Madrid  for  the 
purpose  of  aiding  some  unfortunates  suffering  from  a 
flood  in  the  province  of  Valencia,  and  as  he  was  one  of 
the  amateurs  who  liked  to  take  part  in  sports  of  this  sort, 
he  was  gallantly  invited  to  thrust  the  banderillas  into  the 
bull's  shoulder  —  an  honor  which  he  declined. 

The  committee  afterwards  discovered  the  true  inward- 
ness of  his  not  accepting,  and  after  making  certain  calcu- 
lations and  combinations,  they  invited  him  once  more  to  be 
the  estoqueador?  and  this  time  he  did  not  hesitate  to  ac- 
cept, seeing  that  his  dignity  was  saved.  It  was  less  than 
a  year  since  he  had  chosen  the  alternative. 

And  as  we  have  already  hinted,  he  had  covered  himself 
with  glory,  his  rivals  with  envy,  and  the  respectable  family 
to  which  he  belonged  with  honor,  though  its  worthy  head 
had  a  quite  different  idea  of  it. 

After  a  battle  he  had  the  fortune  to  kill  the  bull  with  a 

1  Novilladn ,  bull-driving. 

2  Bull-fighter  who  uses  a  long  knife. 


120  MAXIMINA. 

superb  lunge  at  a  half-run,  wetting  his  fingers,  and  enter- 
ing and  leaving  the  ring  without  a  stain. 

There  was  a  perfect  delirium  of  clapping,  of  waving 
cigars  and  hats  ;  all  the  bull-fighting  amateurs  vied  with 
each  other  in  embracing  him  ;  he  was  carried  triumphantly 
to  his  carriage,  and  sent  back  victorious  to  Madrid :  on 
the  next  da}-  the  newspapers,  in  their  reviews  of  the  en- 
tertainment, raised  him  "to  the  very  horns  of  the  moon." 
El  Tabano,  a  most  dignified  paper,  dedicated  exclusively 
to  the  interests  of  bull-fighting,  declared  that  he  showed 
blood  and  modesty ;  and  this  eulogium,  in  spite  of  its  brutal- 
ity, for  some  reason  or  other  made  him  stagger  with  de- 
light. 

He  spent  a  feverish,  wakeful  night,  though  his  soul  was 
caressed  by  a  thousand  brilliant  visions.  When  morning 
came,  he  gave  himself  up  to  cleaning  his  long  knife,  and 
while  he  was  occupied  in  this  most  noble  task,  he  had  the 
ineffable  satisfaction  of  receiving,  on  a  silver  salver  from 
the  committee,  the  ear  of  the  bull  which  he  had  slain. 

The  servant,  after  receiving  an  unheard-of  fee,  told  him, 
with  his  heart  bowed  low  in  admiration  :  — 

"  What  immense  pleasure,  senorito  !  Tato  was  nothing 
to  you  !  " 

"  Pish  !  Yo^i  must  not  flatter,  my  dear  ;  you  must  not 
flatter,"  replied  Enrique,  with  affected  modesty  ;  "El  Tato 
was  a  great  bull-fighter  !  " 

"  But  I  tell  you  it  is  so,  senorito  !  El  Tato  never  came 
out  of  the  ring  with  his  cloak  more  unstained.  You  see  I 
know  what  bulls  is  !  Senor  Paco  (he  is  now  in  glory)  has 
told  me  time  and  again,  when  he  seen  me  with  the  horse  in 
full  gallop  up  to  the  very  nose  of  the  beast :  '  Juanillo, 
my  son,  you've  got  the  very  blood  of  the  bull-fighter. 
Dedicate  yourself  to  the  art  which  would  be  much  more 
profitable  to  you  than  cleaning  boots,  and  holding  nags  in 


MAXIMINA.  121 

the  plaza.'  '  But,'  says  I,  '  Senor  Paco,  suppose  I  have  a 
lady  who  gives  me  a  good  brushing  down  every  Sunday, 
when  I  put  on  the  red  jacket?'  '  Give  her  a  lot  of  soft 
soap,  my  boy  ;  if  you  wants  to  git  along  well  with  women, 
you've  got  to  give  'em  soft  soap  every  day  of  your  life 
and  every  other  day  too  ! '  And  the  old  mau  was  right ! 
If  I  had  followed  his  advice,  I  should  have  been  a  differ- 
ent person.  ...  I  was  the  gent  as  brought  you  the  mule 
when  you  fell ;  didn't  you  see  me?" 

"  Yes.  ...  I  don't  recollect  very  clearly,  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  I  saw  you  on  the  plaza." 

''Come  now,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me  putting  myself 
right  on  the  horns  of  the  bull,  Don  Ricardito  would  have 
been  hooked  yesterday  afternoon  at  the  second  baiting. 
.  .  .  Bad  beast  that  was  !  They'd  once  before  baited  him 
in  the  village,  so  the  pastor  told  me.  That  one  of  yourn, 
seiiorito,  was  a  very  lively  little  bull,  very  brave,  and  at 
the  same  time  very  gamy.  Your  stabbin'  of  him  was  very 
unusual." 

"Pish!     Perfectly  regular,  perfectly  regular.  .  .  ." 

"Magnificent,  Don  Enriquito !  magnificent!  Only  it 
was  a  pity  that  you  hurried  the  least  leetle  bit  as  you 
rode  by  him  !  " 

"I  hurried?"  exclaimed  Enrique,  flushing.  "Man 
alive  !  it  seems  to  me  you  have  about  as  good  an  idea  of 
bull-fighting  as  the  lining  of  my  trousers  !  .  .  .  Don't 
you  dare  to  say  that  I  hurried  !  " 

His  modesty,  which  was  "only  fastened  with  pins,"  was 
quickly  lost.  The  servant,  seeing  the  ill-effect  of  his  crit- 
icism, was  anxious  to  amend  it. 

"  No  ;  but  certainly  it  was  a  superior  skirmish  ;  and  it 
makes  no  difference  whether  it  was  done  quick  or  slow." 

"  No  matter  at  all ;  we  have  talked  enough,  and  I  don't 
care  to  hear  any  more  such  nonsense.- .  .  ."  ' 


1 22  MAXIMINA. 

And  Enrique  opened  the  door  to  let  him  out,  and 
slammed  it  behind  him,  muttering  :  — 

"The  devil  take  the  stupid  fellow  I  Ricardito  must 
have  given  him  that  idea  about  hurrying.  .  .  .  That 
rascal  had  better  be  ashamed  of  himself,  and  not  let 
Felipe  Gomez  hold  his  bull  by  the  leg." 

And  fully  persuaded  that  the  stain  on  his  rival's  honor 
could  not  be  wiped  out  by  all  the  perfumes  of  Arabia, 
he  remained  tolerably  calm.  The  reading  of  the  journals, 
and  the  presence  of  the  blood}"  ear,  mute  witness  of  his 
courage,  finally  restored  him  to  complete  tranquillity. 

But  one  thing  afterwards  occurred  to  disturb  his  peace 
of  mind,  and  that  was  the  way  of  preserving  his  trophy. 
If  it  were  left  in  its  present  state,  it  would  soon  become 
offensive.  Should  he  put  it  in  alcohol?  Then  the  hair 
would  come  off,  and  it  would  be  turned  into  a  piece  of 
ugly  gristle.  Should  he  have  it  mounted?  He  would 
have  to  go  out  and  make  inquiries.  He  made  up  his 
mind  to  go  immediately  after  dinner  to  Severini,  the  great 
taxidermist  of  San  Jeronimo  Avenue. 

At  dinner  the  talk  turned  on  the  bull-fight.  Don  Ber- 
nardo had  already  been  informed  by  the  newspapers  of 
his  son's  prowess  ;  and  though  secretly,  at  the  bottom  of 
his  heart,  he  was  flattered  by  the  applause  that  he  had  won. 
he  did  not  fail  to  appear  stern,  and  to  chide  him,  although 
not  as  severely  as  sometimes. 

"  Come  now,  Enrique,  let  this  be  the  last  time  that  you 
make  a  public  exhibition  of  yourself  in  this  way.  You 
know  that  I  do  not  like  to  have  a  son  of  mine  play  the 
role  of  torero,  even  though  he  do  it  well." 

Enrique  understood  well  that  his  father  was  not  realty 
angry,  and  was  assured  of  the  truth  of  the  old  adage, 
"  Success  pardons  all  dubious  steps." 

He  lighted  his  cigar,  wrapped  the  bloody  ear  in  a  rag, 


MAXIMINA.  123 

put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  went  down  into  the  street,  direct- 
ing his  steps  toward  the  Cafe  Imperial,  with  the  hope  of 
there  receiving  fresh  congratulations  from  his  intelligent 
friends,  and  to  spend  the  whole  afternoon  talking  about 
the  bull-fight  of  Valecas  :  on  the  way  he  intended  to  call 
at  Severini's. 

It  was  half -past  three,  and  pretty  hot.  Our  lieutenant 
(for  he  had  been  promoted)  was  walking  along  the  Calle 
del  Bano,  dressed  in  the  latest  style,  in  Prince  Albert 
coat  tightly  buttoned  up,  light  pantaloons,  patent  leather 
boots,  and  a  sombrero  with  a  peaked  crown. 

It  was  his  idea  to  dress  himself  so  in  place  of  his  ordi- 
nary "  b'hoy's  "  fighting  garb,  so  as  to  give  greater  force 
and  relief  to  his  portentous  sword-thrust  of  the  day  before, 
lie  walked  slowly,  with  the  assured  and  overweening  gait 
of  a  man  satisfied  with  himself,  casting  keen  glances  at 
those  whom  he  passed,  to  see  if  they  recognized  him,  and 
pulling  forth  great  clouds  of  smoke.  Never  had  he  felt 
so  happy  in  body  and  mind. 

At  the  door  of  a  "  dairy"  a  young  girl  was  seated  with 
a  book  in  her  hands.  Enrique,  as  he  passed,  glanced  at 
her,  and  the  philanthropic  feelings  which  he  felt  toward 
every  living  thing  caused  him  to  pause  a  moment  and 
gaze  at  her  with  smiling  eyes.  The  girl  looked  up  with 
her  big  black  eyes,  the  expression  of  which  was  half 
proud  and  half  mischievous,  and  after  staring  at  him  for 
some  time,  she  again  gave  her  attention  to  her  book, 
showing  marked  indifference. 

Enrique  stepped  up  in  front  of  her,  and  stopped,  saying 
in  mellifluous  accents  :  — 

"  What  are  you  reading,  my  beauty?" 

The  girl  again  raised  her  eyes,  and  after  staring  at  him 
sharply,  replied  :  — 

"  The  Lives  of  the  Four  Rascals." 


124  MAXIMINA. 

And  she  dwelt  long  on  the  last  word. 

Enrique  was  a  little  confused,  but  he  stood  with  the 
smile  still  on  his  lips.  The  girl  again  buried  herself  in 
her  book.  After  a  while  she  raised  her  head  once  more, 
and  said  vivaciously,  in  an  ironical  tone,  in  which  her 
irritation  was  expressed  :  — 

"  Walk  in,  gent,  walk  in.  .  .  ." 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  sweetheart,"  replied  Enrique, 
entering  the  shop,  and  standing  just  behind  the  girl. 

She  turned  around  to  look  at  him,  with  a  haughty  ges- 
ture, and  said  very  gravely  :  — 

"  Man,  I  like  you  for  your  cheek  !  " 

"  And  I  like  you  for  your  sprightliness." 

"  Indeed  !     Since  when  ?  " 

"  Since  I  saw  you  from  the  corner  of  the  street." 

"Ay,  how  kind  of  you  !  And  you  knew  as  much  as 
that,  and  kept  it  to  yourself  ! " 

"  Why,  whom  could  I  tell  it  to?" 

"  To  your  grandmother,  my  son." 

"  I  haven't  any ;  my  grandmother  died  when  I  was  a 
baby." 

"  What  a  monkey  !  " 

"  No ;  I  used  to  be  homelier  than  I  am  now." 

''  Didn't  your  papa  have  to  teach  you  during  vacation?" 

"  I  don't  remember.  .  .  .  Zounds!  Do  you  consider 
me  so  ugl}-?" 

1 '  Why  should  I  deceive  you  ?  .  .  .  Ugly  ?  why  you  are 
uglier  than  sin  !  " 

"  M.inolita,"  l  cried  the  fruit-woman  from  across  the 
way,  "  when  did  you  get  up  your  awnings?" 

"  Just  this  very  moment.     How  do  you  like  them?" 

"And  so  your  name  is  Manolita?"  asked  Enrique. 

"  No,  siree  ;  my  name  is  Manuela." 
1  Little  Manuela. 


MAXIMINA.  125 

"  How  witty  and  how  delicious  you  are  !  " 

"  When  did  you  ever  taste  me  ? "    • 

Mauolita  was  a  chula  or  "gal"  iu  her  behavior,  iu  her 
gestures,  iu  her  dress,  in  the  pronunciation  of  her  words, 
and  in  all  that  she  did ;  but  she  was  a  very  charming 
chula;  and  that  is  uo  miracle,  for  there  are  girls  like 
Alexandrine  roses  in  these  blessed  streets  of  ours. 

Her  face  was  oval,  rather  pale  ;  her  eyes  were  black, 
with  pink  circles  under  them ;  her  hair  was  also  black, 
and  she  wore  it  in  ringlets  around  the  temples;  her  teeth 
were  white  and  small,  and  set  close  together ;  her  expres- 
sion that  mixture  of  grave  and  scornful  which  is  natural 
to  eveiy  chula  who  has  not  as  yet  "  gone  to  the  dogs." 

"  Why  did  you  say  that  you  were  going  to  finish  your 
walk  this  moment  ?  " 

Enrique  had  not  said  any  such  thing. 

"Before  going  I  wish  you  would  give  me  a  glass  of  milk." 

Manolita  got  up  solemnly  from  the  chair,  leaving  her 
book  in  it,  and  went  to  the  counter,  and  without  saying  a 
word  filled  a  glass  with  milk,  put  it  on  a  plate,  and  set  it 
on  one  of  the  three  or  four  marble  tables  that  were  there ; 
then  seeing  that  Enrique  did  not  sit  down,  but  stood  mo- 
tionless in  the  middle  of  the  shop,  following  all  her  move- 
ments, she  paused  suddenly,  and  said  in  that  ironical  tone 
that  never  left  her  lips  :  — 

"  Don't  you  want  to  drink  it  indoors,  mister1?',' 

"I  would  not  drink  it  in  the  house  if  you  should  give 
me  five  duros  !  " 

"  Well,  my  boy,  you  can't  have  it  out  of  doors  !  Come 
now,  let  us  pour  it  back  into  the  jug  ;  only  don't  get  sick 
and  have  to  be  sent  to  the  hospital." 

No  sooner  said  than  done  ;  she  started  straight  for  the 
jug  ;  but  Enrique  detained  her. 

1  Cabayero  for  caballero. 


126  MAXIMINA. 

"  I  did  not  mean  that,  rny  beauty.  In  the  house  there 
might  some  harm  happen  to  me  ;  but  here  !  here  I  seem 
to  be  in  glory  merely  looking  at  you  !  " 

"  Senorito,  you  need  lime  juice  and  not  milk  !  " 

"May  be!  ...  How  much  is  this?"  he  added,  after 
he  had  drunk  up  the  milk,  and  looking  at  Manolita  with  a 
smile. 

"  Not  quite  an  onza."1 

"How  much?" 

"  Half  a  real." 

He  took  a  few  coins  out  of  his  pocket,  and  as  he  put 
them  into  the  chula's  hands,  he  suddenly  felt  himself  at- 
tacked by  a  philanthropy  that  mounted  toward  enthusiasm 
for  her.  To  manifest  this  feeling,  so  appropriate  to  the 
essence  of  human  nature  and  the  spirit  and  doctrine  of 
Christiauit}'  which  commands  us  to  love  our  fellow-crea- 
tures, our  lieutenant  had  nothing  left  to  do  except  to  give 
her  a  fond  hug  accompanied  by  a  kiss  fonder  still.  But 
before  carrying  out  such  a  plausible  scheme,  he  cast  a 
cautious  glance  all  around  to  assure  himself  that  no  one 
was  coming  to  disturb  this  benevolent  act,  and  previously 
he  bristled  up  his  mustaches  as  all  good  rat  terriers  are 
accustomed  to  do.  "When  once  he  had  thus  completed  his 
preparations  —  All  ready  !  Go  ! 

When  the  cliula  found  herself  in  the  lieutenant's  arms, 
she  turned  around  as  quick  as  a  flash,  tore  herself  away, 
let  fly  her  hand,  and  zas!  gave  him  a  tremendous  slap 
right  in  the  nose. 

We  know  that  of  old  Enrique's  nose  had  a  curious  mag- 
netic influence  over  blows,  and  attracted  them  as  metallic 
needles  attract  electric  sparks.  Let  us  record  this,  so  that 
no  one  may  think  it  remarkable  that  the  buffet  struck  that 
delicate  organ  instead  of  any  other  region  of  his  face. 
1  Onza  de  oro,  $16. 


MAXIMINA.  127 

Two  jets  of  blood  instantly  gushed  from  his  sufficiently 
capacious  nostrils,  which  was  proof  positive  that  Mauo- 
lita's  hands  were  not  made  of  wax,  though  they  were 
handsomely  shaped.  At  the  sight  of  blood  her  courage 
became  even  fiercer,  like  a  lioness  of  the  desert,  and  it 
was  a  narrow  escape  that  she  did  not  tear  him  in  pieces 
with  a  tin  dipper,  for  she  clutched  it  in  her  fists,  and  held 
it  over  him  a  long  time. 

"Ay,  how  'diculous !  What  has  got  into  me?  .  .  . 
What  were  you  thinking  about,  you  lisping  idiot?  .  .  . 
You  made  a  mistake,  seuor.  I'll  smash  in  }'our  great  goat 
face  if  you  don't  get  out  of  here  quicker'n  a  wink  !  .  .  ." 

Enrique  was  wiping  his  nose  with  his  handkerchief,  mur- 
muring :  — 

"  Diablo!  Diablo!    How  you  made  it  bleed !  " 

"  I  want  to  see  you  pack  out  of  here,  you  rascal ! 1  you 
rrrascal !  you  rrrrrrrascal !  "  And  each  time  that  she  re- 
peated the  word,  she  gave  a  more  vigorous  roll  to  the  r, 
as  though  the  preservation  of  her  honor,  endangered  by 
the  impudent  lieutenant,  depended  on  the  proper  pronun- 
ciation of  this  precious  palatal. 

"•  But  first  let  me  have  a  little  water  to  wash  013*  face. 
...  I  can't  go  out  this  V?SL\.  .  .  ." 

"  You'd  better  have  some  green  lemon  juice.  .  .  .  Clear 
out  of  here,  you  indecent  wretch  !  " 

The  young  woman  stretched  her  right  arm  toward  the 
door  with  so  much  dignity  that  it  could  not  have  been  im- 
proved upon.  Enrique,  busy  in  cleaning  off  the  blood  and 
in  looking  with  sorrow  on  the  spots  staining  his  handker- 
chief, could  not  appreciate  the  value  of  that  haughty  atti- 
tude which  was  worthy  of  Juno,  Pallas,  Cybele,  or  any 
other  goddess  of  antiquity. 

The  mythological  right  hand,  however,  under  the  influ- 
1  Seo  morral ;  seo,  vulgar  for  senor. 


128  MAXIMINA. 

ence  of  compassion,  was  gradually  beginning  to  bend, 
and  after  a  few  moments  it  was  the  very  one  that  brought 
from  the  back  room  a  jug  full  of  water,  and  set  it  down 
on  the  marble  table  beside  the  fatal  tumbler  of  milk  which 
the  "  rascal "  had  but  just  drained. 

Still  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  this  act  in  the  least  in- 
fringed on  the  dignity  with  which  the  handsome  chula  had 
clothed  herself  :  on  the  contrary,  it  made  it  more  lustrous 
and  illustrious.  And  while  the  lieutenant  was  washing  his 
nose,  carefully  snuffing  up  the  water,  she,  casting  glances 
of  Olympic  scorn  at  his  occiput  and  muttering  threats, 
went  and  sat  down  once  more  at  the  door  with  her  book 
in  her  hands. 

The  hemorrhage  having  been  checked,  after  drying 
his  face  with  his  handkerchief  the  lieutenant  left  the 
shop ;  but  as  he  passed  by  Manolita  he  had  the  impu- 
dence to  say : — 

"  Good  by,  my  beauty  ;  I  shall  not  la}'  it  up  against  you." 

It  would  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  conceive  that 
Mauolita  lifted  so  much  as  her  eyes,  much  more  that  she 
replied  to  him. 

Enrique  went  to  the  Imperial  with  his  nose  rather  red, 
possibly  a  little  inflamed,  but  as  happy  as  though  nothing 
of  the  sort  had  occurred.  The  thought  of  the  chula  and 
the  buffet  that  she  had  given  him  was  driven  out  of  his 
head  by  the  congratulations  of  the  bull-fighters  and  a 
dispute  that  lasted  all  the  afternoon  as  to  whether  it  is 
permissible  or  not  for  the  espada  to  have  a  boy  at  the 
entrance  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  bull  when  he 
charges  at  close  quarters. 

On  the  next  day,  however,  when  he  left  the  house  after 
breakfast,  he  remembered  his  adventure  ;  instead  of  going 
up  to  town  by  the  Prado,  so  as  to  take  Prince  Street,  as 
his  custom  was,  he  entered  the  Calle  del  Baiio  the  same 


MAXIMINA.  129 

as  on  the  day  before.  He  had  taken  but  a  step  or  two 
before  he  could  discern  at  a  distance  Manolita's  checked 
chintz  and  blue  kerchief. 

The  lieutenant  smiled,  calling  to  mind  only  the  pleasant 
part  of  yesterday's  episode  ;  it  was  one  of  his  peculiarities 
to  see  all  the  things  of  this  world  in  the  most  hopeful 
aspect. 

"  Ah,  there  is  my  little  chula!  caramba!  if  she  isn't 
witty  and  saucy !  " 

And  with  a  honied  smile  on  his  lips,  he  walked  leisurely 
to  the  "dairy,"  puffing  out  vast  volumes  of  smoke,  and 
carrying  himself  like  a  man  whose  happiness  cannot  be 
disturbed  by  a  buffet  more  or  less. 

When  he  came  near  the  young  woman,  he  stopped  just 
as  on  the  day  before.  The  chula  looked  up,  and  scanning 
him  with  angry  eyes,  said :  — 

".Have  you  come  back  for  another?  " 

"  If  you  are  anxious  to  give  me  one.  ..." 

Enrique's  dog-like  face  expressed  such  pure  satisfac- 
tion, and  had  grown  so  fearfully  ugly  in  expressing  it, 
that  the  chula  could  not  prevent  a  smile  breaking  out  on 
her  face. 

And  bending  over,  so  as  not  to  compromise  herself,  she 
said :  — 

"Come,  come,  go  your  way." 

"  Don't  be  spiteful  to  me,  Manolita,  but  forgive  me  !  " 

"That's  a  great  note!  I  am  not  a  priest  to  grant 
absolution !  " 

"But  you  can  impose  penance." 

"  No  such  thing  !  If  I  did,  though,  it  would  be  with  the 
dipper  in  such  a  way  that  you  would  not  care  to  show 
your  ugly  phiz  around  here  again." 

"That  could  not  be!  I  might  lose  my  nose,  but  I 
could  not  lose  my  desire  to  see  you ;  never ! " 


130  MAXIMINA. 

The  chula,  during  this  exchange  of  compliments,  was 
becoming  softened.  Enrique,  after  respectfully  asking 
permission,  was  allowed  to  enter  the  shop,  and  sit  down 
to  drink  a  tumbler  of  milk. 

And  in  good  fellowship  and  sociability,  the  lieutenant 
began  to  flirt  with  her  in  fine  style,  and  the  girl  to  answer 
him  curtly,  though  she  could  not  help  feeling  that  it  was 
rather  good  fun  to  be  courted  by  a  military  gentleman.1 

Enrique  made  himself  liked  by  his  frank  and  optimistic 
disposition.  Manolita,  finding  him  just  as  ugly  as  before, 
began  to  be  attracted  toward  him. 

"  Why  not  tell  the  truth?"  she  said  ;  "  you  are  homely, 
but  3'ou  have  a  something  .  .  .  come  now  !  .  .  .  peculiar." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  responded  the  lieutenant,  gravely  ; 
"  I  am  homely,  but  graceful." 

"  No,  you  aren't  graceful  either  !  "  exclaimed  the  chula, 
laughing. 

"Well,  I  am  beginning  to  get  into  your  good  graces, 
if  I  am  not  graceful." 

"That's  so." 

After  they  had  got  deeply  interested  in  conversation, 
suddenly  heavy  and  clattering  steps  were  heard  in  the 
back  shop,  and  a  man,  or,  more  accurately  speaking,  a 
one-eyed  giant,  appeared  at  the  rear  door  in  his  shirt- 
sleeves, in  gray  woollen  trousers,  a  red  belt,  and  a  flat 
Biscaj'an  cap  ;  his  face  was  as  ugly  and  frightful  as  that 
of  his  ancestors,  the  Cyclops. 

After  casting  a  grim  look  around  the  room,  without 
seeing  Enrique,  or  apparently  not  seeing  him,  he  uttered 
several  grunts,  staggered  toward  the  counter,  and  fixing 
his  vitreous,  angry  eye  on  the  polished  silk  hat  which  the 
lieutenant  had  laid  on  it,  he  picked  it  up  gingerly  in  his 
monstrous  hands,  examined  it  curiousl}',  like  a  naturalist 
1  Senorito  de  bomba. 


MAXIMINA.  131 

who  has  just  stumbled  upon  some  new  zoophyte,  while 
something  that  tried  to  be  a  smile,  but  succeeded  in  being 
only  a  horrible  grimace,  vexed  his  thick,  livid  lips. 

"  Oj,  oj,  oj.  .  .  .  Trrr,  trrr,  trr.  ...  Is  there  a  mar- 
quis in  my  shop  ?  blast  him  ! " 

And  he  flung  another  glance  around  the  room  without 
having  any  objective  point  for  it,  as  though  there  were  no 
living  beings  in  it. 

Then,  with  perfect  calmness  and  care,  as  though  he 
were  performing  one  of  the  most  delicate  operations  of 
art,  he  crushed  the  hat  between  his  hands  until  he  had 
made  it  as  flat  as  a  pancake ;  and  having  done  this,  he 
flung  it  through  the  door  into  the  middle  of  the  street  with 
no  less  delicacy  and  care. 

Enrique  suddenly  grew  as  red  as  a  pepper ;  then  in- 
stantly turned  pale  ;  he  leaped  hastily  from  his  seat  like  a 
new  David,  full  of  the  impulse  to  meet  the  Goliath  in 
battle  ;  but  Manolita  restrained  him,  making  no  end  of 
expressive  signs  going  to  show  that  the  giant  was  not  at 
heart  a  stern  man.  Then  Enrique  left  the  shop,  a  very 
disgusted  man. 

"  Father,  the  hat  belonged  to  this  gent,  and  he  was  a 
customer." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  !     Do  you  understand?" 

And  in  order  to  reinforce  the  significance  of  his  wish, 
he  gave  the  girl  a  slap. 

But  Enrique  heard  neither  the  daughter's  amiable  ex- 
planation nor  the  father's  gentle  reply ;  all  he  thought  of 
was  to  straighten  out  and  arrange  his  hat. 

"Catch  me  coming  to  this  pigsty  of  a  shop  again!" 
he  exclaimed,  furiously  clapping  his  hat  on  his  head,  and 
sweeping  like  the  north  wind  up  the  street  in  search  of  a 
hatter. 


132  MAXIMINA. 


X. 

IN  fact,  he  did  not  return  .  .  .  until  the  next  day  ;  but 
he  went  dressed  de  corto,  that  is  to  say,  in  short  jacket, 
tight  pantaloons,  and  sombrero. 

"See  here,  senorito,  are  you  .going  to  the  slaughter- 
house to  skin  something?"  asked  Mauolita,  as  soon  as 
she  saw  him  in  that  rig. 

And  then  began  their  skirmish  of  love-making ;  he 
making  use  of  all  the  honied  words  at  his  command,  she 
replying  to  each  loving  phrase  with  a  proud,  tierce  parr}-. 

Enrique  was  not  foiled  by  that,  and  he  was  right.  By 
the  example  of  her  young  girl  friends  and  companions, 
and  by  her  rude  training,  the  chula  was  armed  with  a 
tough  bark  full  of  thorns ;  but  God  knew  well,  and 
Enrique  likewise  knew,  that  at  heart  she  was  a  poor 
girl,  good,  industrious,  long-suffering,  ignorant  as  a  fish, 
and  more  innocent  in  certain  respects  than  might  have 
been  supposed  from  her  speech  and  behavior. 

She  had  lost  her  mother  about  two  years  before ;  her 
sister  had  married  a  farmer,  and  lived  out  toward  Las 
Vistillas.  She  herself  lived  with  her  father,  who  was  a 
Vizcaino,1  who  had  been  established  in  Madrid  for  many 
years  in  a  little  house  with  two  rooms  facing  the  corral 
where  the  cows  were  kept. 

She  was  a  genuine  Madrilena  to  the  extent  of  never 
having  even  set  foot  on  a  railway  train,  or  having  in  her 
walks  gone  farther  than  Carabanchel. 

The  Vizcaino,  since  the  death  of  his  wife,  who  had  exer- 
cised a  restraining  influence  upon  him,  had  been  taking 
more  and  more  desperately  to  drinking  habits,  and  treated 
his  daughter  very  brutally.  But  even  in  her  mother's 
1 A  native  of  Biscay;  a  Basque. 


MAXIMINA.  133 

lifetime  shq  had  become  so  accustomed  to  cruel  treatment 
that  it  had  never  once  occurred  to  her  that  she  was  living 
a  very  unhappy  life ;  and  when  one  day  Enrique  spoke  of 
it  in  that  way,  after  one  of  those  barbarous  deeds  which 
the  dairyman  frequently  committed,  she  looked  at  him  in 
surprise  and  said,  'yes,  that  he  was  right,  that  she  was 
very  miserable';  but  her  tone  seemed  to  say,  "Man 
alive!  don't  you  know  that  it  isn't  my  fault?" 

As  day  after  day  went  by,  Enrique,  constantly  visiting 
at  the  "dairy,"  enduring  the  freshnesses,  the  pushing,  and 
occasionally  even  the  slaps  of  this  gentlest  of  chulas, 
when  he  went  beyond  the  bounds  of  reason,  spent  his  time 
very  pleasantly  in  the  toils  of  his  love. 

At  first  he  had  a  few  unpleasant  encounters  with  the 
brute  of  a  father ;  but  afterwards  they  became  great 
friends  as  soon  as  the  dairyman  discovered  that  the 
senorito  knew  a  thing  or  two  about  bulls,  that  he  had 
himself  taken  part  in  bull-fights,  and  was  a  great  friend 
of  the  most  famous  espadas,  to  whom  the  plebeians  of 
Madrid  offer  fervid  worship. 

When  he  came  into  the  shop  drunk,  Enrique  would  take 
his  hat  and  go,  and  the  other  was  not  in  the  least  offended 
at  him  for  it ;  in  this  way  he  avoided  any  collision  with 
him.  He  spent  not  less  than  two  hours  every  afternoon 
talking  with  Manolita ;  in  the  evening,  after  the  shop 
\v:is  closed,  he  escorted  her  to  the  cafe's  to  collect  for  the 
milk  that  they  had  used  during  the  day ;  he  would  wait 
for  her  at  the  door  while  she  settled  her  accounts  with 
the  proprietor. 

As  the  chula  had  her  suitors,  and  they  belonged  to  the 
"common  people,"  and  were  jealous  of  a  senorito  paying 
attentions  to  her,  our  lieutenant  was  sometimes  threat- 
ened, and  even  attacked ;  but  we  know  that  in  his  char- 
acter of  bulldog,  he  was  most  fierce  and  obstinate ;  he 


134  MAXIMINA. 

could  defend  himself  so  well  with  his  iron  cane,  which  he 
always  took  with  him,  that  Mauolita  was  perfectly  tran- 
quil about  him,  though  she  would  bravely  come  to  his  aid 
and  give  his  aggressors  a  few  raps,  as  destructive  as  the}' 
were  well  directed. 

What  were  Enrique's  intentions  when  he  first  began- 
this  flirtation  ?  They  could  not  have  been  more  perverse 
and  insidious  :  he  expected  to  ruin  the  chula  and  after- 
wards back  out  of  it,  but  after  he  had  known  her  a  month 
Manolita  had  him  a  prisoner  at  her  feet,  as  tame  and 
obedient  as  a  mountebank's  dog,  and  this  (let  us  say  it 
to  his  credit,  since  we  have  said  unkind  things  of  him) 
because  he  had  a  noble  heart  and  felt  sorry  for  the  poor 
girl's  fate,  so  sorryr  indeed,  that  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
marry  her. 

He  spent  several  da}*s  pondering  over  this  resolution, 
and  then  took  courage  to  open  his  heart  to  his  mother. 

Dona  Martina  was  annoyed  beyond  measure,  all  the 
more  from  remembering  her  own  former  position  as  laun- 
dress ;  but  as  she  was  a  woman  of  excessive  meekness,  and 
Enrique  was  like  the  apple  of  her  63*6,  she  quickly  took 
his  part,  although  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  speak  to 
her  husband  about  it,  since  she  knew  his  temper,  and 
was  perfectly  assured  that  he  would  tear  things  in  pieces 
rather  than  consent  to  such  a  match. 

Finally  the  lieutenant,  not  having  the  courage  to  speak 
to  his  father,  determined  to  write  to  him,  and  leave  the 
letter  on  his  table. 

Don  Bernardo  did  not  answer,  nor  did  he  show  the 
slightest  sign  of  having  received  it ;  after  a  few  days 
Enrique  left  another  on  the  same  spot  with  the  same 
result. 

The  only  sign  that  he  could  see  was  in  his  father's 
face  :  generally  clouded,  it  was  now  more  gloomy  than 


MAXIMINA.  135 

ever.  Then,  after  imploring  his  brothers,  Vincente  and 
Carlos  to  take  his  part,  and  after  receiving  from  them  a 
flat  refusal,  he  went  to  ask  a  similar  favor  of  his  cousin 
Miguel,  with  whom  he  always  kept  on  the  most  intimate 
terms  of  friendship. 

"Fine  recommendation  mine  would  be!"  replied  Mi- 
guel. "  If  you  want  your  father  to  kick  you  out  of  the 
house  you  could  not  find  a  better  way." 

"Don't  you  believe  it;  my  father  is  fond  of  you  — 
much  more  than  he  ever  gives  you  reason  to  believe. 
That  is  the  way  with  him  .  .  .  stern  in  appearance  .  .  . 
but  very  affectionate  at  heart." 

Miguel  smiled,  feeling  respect  for  that  judgment  of  a 
good  son,  and  still  he  continued  to  decline  the  office  ;  but 
Enrique  insisted  so  strenuously,  and  with  such  fervent 
words,  almost  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  that  at  last,  though 
not  with  very  good  grace,  Miguel  consented  to  call  upon 
his  uncle  and  talk  over  the  matter  with  him. 

On  the  day  set  for  the  visit  Enrique  was  waiting  for 
him,  walking  up  and  down  the  corridor  in  a  state  of  agi- 
tation easy  to  understand.  "When  the  door-bell  rang  he 
was  the  one  that  opened  it. 

"  How  pale  you  are,  my  friend  !  "  exclaimed  Miguel. 

"  My  heart  beats  worse  than  if  I  were  going  to  fight." 

"Poor  Enrique  !  Make  up  your  mind  that  even  if  my 
meddling  turns  out  ill,  as  I  predict  it  will,  you  will  not 
hesitate  a  moment  to  hang  yourself  on  the  beautiful  tree 
that  you  have  chosen  !  " 

"  See  here,  I  can't  wait  for  you  in  the  house.  M}-  head 

is  like  a  furnace  ;  I  must  have  some  fresh  air I  will 

wait  for  you  at  the  Imperial." 

Before  going  to  his  uncle's  room  Miguel  went  straight 
to  Vincente's,  who  was  still  master  of  ceremonies  for  the 
family. 


136  MAXIMINA. 

Vincente  received  him  with  the  affable  gravity  char- 
acteristic of  him,  and  was  amiable  enough  to  give  him  a 
circumstantial  and  entertaining  account  of  how  the  pipe 
that  brought  water  to  his  wash-basin  had,  for  a  number 
of  da}-s,  been  afflicted  with  a  small  break,  which  had 
made  it  leak  so  that  it  had  almost  ruined  a  tapestry 
of  the  Catholic  kings ;  but  fortunately  it  had  been  dis- 
covered in  time,  and  after  a  long  search  they  had  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  the  wretched  leak. 

Then  he  told  him  another  story,  no  less  interesting, 
about  a  curious  system  of  bells  which  he  had  invented 
for  communicating  with  the  servants  and  the  coachman. 
Finally,  the  oldest  son  of  the  Senores  de  Rivera,  mani- 
festing a  generosity  which  was  as  honorable  to  him  as  to 
his  cousin,  brought  from  a  closet  a  small  ivory  triptich, 
which  he  had  recently  bought  at  El  Rastro.  It  was  an  ex- 
quisite work,  a  real  jewel,  as  its  owner  declared,  although 
somewhat  the  worse  for  wear.  After  both  of  them  had 
looked  at  it  and  admired  it,  Vincente,  as  he  was  return- 
ing it  to  its  place,  and  tn-ing  not  to  burst  out  laughing, 
said  :  — 

"  And  do  you  know  what  Seiior  de  Aguilar  would  be 
willing  to  give  me  for  this  triptich  ?  " 

"I  haven't  the  slightest  idea." 

"  Just  imagine,  Miguel !  .  .  .  a  Trajan  !  Think  of  it !  he 
wanted  to  take  me  in  with  a  Trajan." 

And  Vincente,  unable  longer  to  contain  himself,  laughed 
till  the  tears  ran. 

"How  absurd!"  exclaimed  Miguel,  laughing  in  sym- 
pathy, but  not  having  a  very  clear  idea  of  what  a  Trajan 
was,  and  still  less  its  value  compared  with  the  triptich. 
The  good  humor  into  which  this  recollection  put  Vincente 
resulted  in  his  being  anxious  to  do  everything  to  gratify 
his  cousin. 


MAXIMINA.  137 

"You  want  to  speak  with  papa,  do  you?  Now  see 
here,  he's  engaged  in  going  through  his  gymnastic  exer- 
cises; but  I'll  take  you  to  him,  at  all  events." 

"Gymnastic  exercises  ?"  exclaimed  Miguel,  in  sur- 
prise. 

"It  was  prescribed  by  the  doctor  because  he  had  lost 
his  appetite  ;  do  you  see  ?  He  did  not  eat  a  mouthful, 
and  even  now  he  takes  very  little.  He  has  been  sallow 
and  weak  this  two  months,  so  that  you  would  scarcely 
know  him." 

On  entering  his  uncle's  stern  and  gloomy  room,  Miguel 
was,  indeed,  surprised  to  see  the  change  that  had  taken 
place  in  that  excellent  gentleman's  physique  ;  the  strange 
garb  that  he  wore  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  give 
him  a  sinister  and  terrible  appearance  :  he  wore  nothing 
except  a  gauze  shirt,  through  which  could  be  seen  his 
lean  and  bony  frame ;  also  full  trousers  of  drilling,  in 
which  his  shins  could  scarcely  be  made  out.  His  face, 
always  broad  and  lean,  seemed  more  fleshless  than  ever ; 
the  yellowish  complexion,  the  sad  and  glassy  eyes,  and, 
as  his  razor  never  ceased  to  perform  its  devastating  work, 
his  mustache  had  come  to  be  only  a  slight  speck  beneath 
his  nose. 

His  library  had  been  turned  into  a  gymnasium ;  there 
were  parallel  bars,  a  few  pairs  of  dumb-bells  on  the 
floor,  and  a  number  of  iron  rings  swinging  from  the 
ceiling. 

When  Miguel  went  in,  his  uncle  was  going  through 
his  evolutions  on  the  parallels ;  he  had  the  opportunity  of 
watching  him  at  his  ease,  and  it  pained  him.  Seeing  the 
rapid  and  astonishing  decline,  he  could  not  help  saying  to 
himself :  — 

"  It  must  be  that  my  uncle  has  some  grievous  sorrow." 

And  as  the  old  gentleman,  absorbed  in  his  painful  task 


138  MAXIMINA. 

of  walking  on  his  hands  over  the  bars,  did  not  perceive  his 
presence,  he  said  aloud  :  — 

"  Good  afternoon,  uncle." 

Don  Bernardo  dropped  to  the  floor,  and  gazing  with 
bleared,  vacant  eyes,  replied  :  — 

"  Hold!     What  brings  you  here ? " 

"Go  ahead,  uncle;  don't  let  me  interrupt  you.  How  do 
you  find  yourself?  " 

"  So,  so.     And  your  wife  ?  " 

"  She  is  very  well ;  go  on,  go  on  !  " 

Don  Bernardo  gave  a  jump,  and  again  perched  on  the 
parallels. 

"You  can  tell  me  what  you  want ;  I  am  listening." 

Miguel  looked  at  him  a  moment,  and  perceiving  that 
the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  attack  the  business  in  hand 
directly,  and  without  any  beating  about  the  bush,  he  began 
to  say :  — 

' '  I  have  come  to  talk  with  you  on  a  subject  which 
probably  will  be  irksome  to  you,  .  .  .  but  I  got  myself  into 
it  with  over-haste,  and  I  have  no  way  of  retreat,  but 
must  fulfil  it  as  well  as  I  can.  .  .  .  Enrique  has  told  me 
of  his  desire.  ..." 

Don  Bernardo  dropped  a  second  time. 

"  Not  one  word  about  Enrique,"  said  he,  stretching  out 
his  arm  imperiously. 

Miguel  felt  annoyed  by  such  haughtiness,  and  said 
ironically  :  — 

' '  What !  have  you  decided  to  blot  him  out  from  the 
memory  of  men  ?  " 

Senor  de  Rivera  gave  him  a  cold  and  haughty  stare, 
which  Miguel  returned  with  equal  pride  and  coldness. 
The  uncle  mounted  the  parallels  again,  and  feeling  that 
he  had  acted  rather  discourteously,  said  with  some  diffi- 
culty, for  his  gymnastic  effort  took  away  his  breath  :  — 


MAXIMINA.  139 

"  Enrique  is  a  fool.  After  annoying  me  to  death  all 
his  life  with  his  follies  he  wants  now  to  finish  his  career 
by  bringing  dishonor  on  his  family." 

"I  have  always  understood  that  one  who  does  some 
vile  act  dishonors  his  family.  .  .  .  But,  however,  since 
you  do  not  wish  to  talk  about  Enrique,  we  will-  not.  He 
is  of  age,  and  he  will  know  what  it  becomes  him  to  do." 

He  said  these  last  words  with  the  intention  of  prepar- 
ing his  uncle  for  what  might  take  place. 

Don  Bernardo  made  no  reply :  he  descended  from  the 
bars,  and  after  getting  his  breath  he. mounted  them  again, 
and  began  to  practise  the  "  frog  movement."  As  Miguel 
did  not  immediately  take  his  departure,  he  renewed  the 
conversation,  saying :  — 

"It  seems  to  me  that  you  have  grown  rather  thin  since 
I  saw  you  last,  uncle." 

"Yes!"  replied  Don  Bernardo,  pausing,  and  sitting 
astride  of  the  wooden  bars.  "But  you  will  see  me 
much  more  so.  There  is  a  reason  for  it." 

"Does  your  stomach  trouble  you?" 

The  caballero  was  for  a  moment  motionless,  with  eyes 
fixed,  and  then  said  in  a  tone  of  deep  melancholy  :  — 

"I  suffer  in  my  mind." 

And  he  took  up  his  exercise  with  more  violence  than 
ever. 

Never  had  Migiiel  heard  from  his  uncle's  lips  any 
reference  to  his  innermost  feelings  ;  in  his  eyes  he  had 
always  been  in  this  respect  a  man  of  iron.  Thus  when 
he  heard  that  tender  confession,  it  seemed  to  him  as 
though  he  were  in  a  dream. 

And  imagining  that  Enrique  was  the  cause  of  his 
uncle's  griefs,  although  the  man  had  no  reason  to  be 
grieved  on  account  of  his  son,  Miguel  still  pitied  him 
sincerely. 


140  MAXIMINA. 

"I  see  that  Enrique,  of  whom  I  am  so  fond,  is  the 
cause  of  your  troubles.  .  .  .  But  you  have  two  other  sons, 
who  must  be  the  source  of  unalloyed  satisfaction." 

"  No,  Miguel,  it  is  not  Enrique.  .  .  .  Enrique  has 
caused  me  some  sorrow,  .  .  .  but  what  I  feel  now  has 
its  source  far  deeper." 

Miguel  began  to  puzzle  over  what  he  meant,  and  was 
inclined  to  imagine  that  it  might  be  some  loss  or  diminu- 
tion of  his  property. 

Don  Bernardo  dismounted,  leaned  against  one  of  the 
bars  to  rest,  and  rubbed  his  sweaty  forehead  with  his 
handkerchief,  heaving  a  deep  sigh  ;  then  he  took  some 
iron  balls  and  began  to  open  and  shut  his  arms  with  the 
solemnity  that  accompanied  all  his  acts. 

After  a  few  moments'  silence,  which  his  nephew  dared 
not  interrupt  in  spite  of  the  curiosity  that  piqued  him. 
the  old  gentleman  dropped  the  weights,  and  approaching 
him  with  his  eyes  fixed  and  open  like  those  of  a  spectre, 
he  said  in  a  hoarse  tone  :  — 

"Forty  years  ago  I  married.  .  .  .  Forty  years  have  I 
been  cherishing  a  viper  in  my  bosom  !  At  last  its  poison 
has  made  its  way  into  my  blood,  and  I  shall  perish  of  the 
wound ! " 

Mignel  did  not  understand,  nor  did  he  wish  to  under- 
stand, those  strange  words.  However,  he  said:  — 

"  I  have  always  supposed  that  you  were  happy  in  your 
marriage." 

"  I  was,  Miguel !  I  was  because  I  had  a  bandage  over 
my  eyes.  Would  to  God  that  it  had  never  been  taken 
off  !  ...  There  is  a  day  in  my  life,  as  you  know  well, 
when,  in  order  to  rescue  the  honor  of  our  family,  I  de- 
scended to  give-my  hand  to  a  women  of  very  different  rank 
from  mine.  In  return  for  this  immense  sacrifice,  don't 
you  think  that  this  woman  ought  to  kiss  the  very  dust 


MAX1MINA.  141 

on  which  I  walk?  .  .  .     Now  then,  this  woman  is  a  Mes- 
salina ! " 

"Uncle!" 

"More  correctly  an  Agrippina." 

"But  after  forty  years,  when  my  aunt  Martina  is 
already  old  and  venerable  !  " 

"  That  makes  her  crime  all  the  more  odious." 

"Aren't  you  blinded,  uncle?" 

"  It  has  cost  me  much  to  believe  it ;  but  I  can  no  longer 
have  any  doubt." 

"  I  regret  your  annoyance  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart ; 
but  allow  me  to  doubt  it  absolutely.  ..." 

"Do  you  know  who  the  infamous  wretch  is  who  has 
dishonored  my  name,"  demanded  Senor  de  Rivera,  com- 
ing closer  and  speaking  into  Miguel's  ear,  —  "This  viper, 
also,  I  have  warmed  in  my  bosom ! " 

"Who?" 

"  Facundo  !     My  fraternal  friend,  Facundo  !  " 

"Senor  Hojeda ! " 

"Not  another  word  more  !  "  exclaimed  Don  Bernardo, 
raising  his  arm  majestically.  "You  are  a  member  of  my 
family  ;  you  are  married,  and  I  have  told  you  my  secret  — 
to  prepare  your  mind.  A  terrible  catastrophe  is  threaten- 
ing all  our  heads." 

"  But,  uncle  !  " 

"  Not  another  word  !  " 

'  Don   Bernardo   immediately  grasped   the  rings,   ener- 
getically raised  his  feet,  and  began  to  do  "  the  siren." 

Miguel  left  the  library,  convinced  that  if  his  uncle  was 
not  already  crazy,  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  go  to  the  mad- 
house. 


142  MAXIMINA, 


XI. 

"FELLOW  CITIZENS:  the  cry  of  liberty  raised  in  Cadiz 
re-echoes  all  over  the  peninsula.  Citizens,  be  proud  !  be 
pioud  of  the  name  of  liberals !  The  sun  of  liberty  has 
at  last  pierced  through  the  fogs  of  tyranny  which  have 
dimmed  it  for  so  many  centuries,  and  it  shines  more 
gloriously  bright  than  ever  before,  ready  to  blot  out  the 
miserable  traces  of  a  deadly  and  spurious  brood.  .  .  ." 

These  and  other  similar  metaphors  the  hirsute  Marro- 
quin  was  shouting  from  one  of  the  balconies  of  the  edi- 
torial office  of  La  Independencia.  He  was  surrounded  by 
about  half  a  dozen  red  banners,  and  his  face  was  dis- 
torted by  emotion,  and  his  hands  were  tremulous.  At 
his  side  could  be  seen  some  of  his  comrades,  all  rather 
pale,  though  not  as  pale  as  he.  Now  and  then  the  orator 
turned  to  them  as  though  demanding  their  concurrence, 
and  this  was  for  the  most  part  generously  granted,  all 
murmuring,  in  a  low  voice,  at  the  end  of  each  period. 
bravo!  bravo!  and  other  exclamations  which  imparted  a 
new  and  powerful  inspiration  to  the  professor  for  continu- 
ing his  harangue  to  the  masses. 

The  masses,  packed  together  in  the  Calle  del  Lobo, 
were  listening  with  open  mouths,  and  with  their  shouts 
and  acclamations  were  likewise  filling  him  with  new 
spirit. 

When  at  last  all  his  astronomical  metaphors  were  ex- 
hausted, and  he  had  nothing  more  to  say,  he  gathered  all 
his  forces  and  screamed  in  a  stentorian  voice  :  — 

"  Citizens  !     Long  live  liberty  !  " 

"Vivaaaaa!" 

' '  Long  li ve  the  sovereign  people !  " 

"Vivaaaaal" 


MAXIM  IN  A.  143 

And  now  having  finished  his  discourse,  he  withdrew 
from  the  balcony. 

A  voice  shouted  from  the  street :  — 

' '  Down  with  property  !  " 

"Abajoooo ! " 

The  throng  again  started  on  its  march,  and  in  a  short 
time  Marroquin  and  all  his  comrades  had  joined  it,  raising 
aloft  a  tremendous  blue  standard  on  which  could  be  read 
these  words :  — 

"  IMMEDIATE    ABOLITION    OF    RELIGION    AND    THE    CLERGY  !  " 

All  was  tumult,  noise,  and  gayety  on  that  day,  the 
thirtieth  of  September,  in  the  capital  of  Spain.  Brass 
bands  inarched  through  the  street,  playing  patriotic  airs ; 
all  the  balconies  (especial  pains  were  taken  that  there 
should  be  no  exceptions)  were  decked  with  variegated 
hangings ;  the  church  bells  pealed  forth  a  hypocritical 
jubilee ;  triumphal  arches  were  built  in  all  haste  on  the 
principal  streets  to  receive  the  conquerors  of  Alcolea, 
the  emigres  and  martyrs  of  the  revolution ;  numerous 
patriotic  crowds  rushed  through  the  city,  ready  at  any 
instant  to  listen  to  the  words  of  all  the  orators,  more 
or  less  improvised  for  the  occasion. 

The  one  which  Marroquin  had  joined  was  not  the  least 
noisy  and  enthusiastic. 

Miguel  was  informed  of  its  exploits  by  his  ancient 
professor,  Don  Juan  Vigil,  the  chaplain  of  the  Colegio 
de  la  Merced,  whom  he  met  a  few  days  afterwards  in 
the  street. 

"You  have  triumphed.  Bardjoles!  God  knows  I  am 
proud  of  you  and  other  good  friends  whom  I  have  had  in 
the  thick  of  the  affair.  The  only  thing  that  I  regret  is 
the  excesses,  don't  you  know?  the  excesses  against  our 
Holy  Mother,  the  Church.  ...  In  front  of  the  house 


144  MAXIMINA. 

passed  that  hog  of  a  Marroquin  at  the  head  of  a  regular 
mob ;  I  saw  that  you  were  not  with  him,  and  I  congratu- 
late you  for  not  being  mixed  up  with  such  rude  people.  .  .  . 
He  had  a  card  on  which  was  printed,  Down  ivith  religion 
and  the  clergy !  He  appeared  in  front  of  the  college,  and 
began  to  wave  the  flag,  bellowing  like  a  calf :  '  Death  to 
the  priest !  Down  with  the  night-hawks  ! ' ' 

"I  was  standing  behind  the  blinds,  and  bardjoles!  I 
felt  strongly  like  going  down  into  the  street  and  giving 
the  hog  a  good  basting  ! " 

Miguel  could  not  restrain  a  smile  as  he  remembered  the 
slaps  which,  in  days  gone  by,  the  priest  had  given  him, 
and,  lest  the  reason  for  his  smile  should  be  misinter- 
preted, he  hastened  to  say  :  — 

"Don't  }TOU  remember,  Don  Juan,  the  caning  which 
you  gave  me  one  day  for  having  shouted  during  recess 
time,  Viva  Garibaldi?" 

"  Certainly  I  remember.  And  you  did  not  thank  me 
for  it,  I  wager?" 

"Not  at  all." 

' '  That  is  the  way  !  Do  your  best  to  inculcate  in  your 
pupils  sound  ideas  of  religion  and  morals,  direct  their 
steps  in  the  path  of  virtue,  correct  their  faults  with 
paternal  hand,  and  then  when  they  become  men  they 
do  not  even  thank  you  for  all  your  vigilance ! " 

"Let  us  not  dispute  about  that,  Don  Juan;  for  that  I 
thank  you  with  all  my  heart ;  but  the  canings,  paternal  as 
they  may  seem,  I  shall  never  feel  grateful  for  —  not  a 
shilling's  worth ! ' ' 

"That  is  all  right;  I  won't  say  anything  more  about 
the  matter ;  the  greatest  reward  for  my  cares  is  to  see 
you  an  earnest  man,  and  well  received  in  society.  .  .  . 
But,  by  the  way,  you  can't  imagine  the  sensation  that 
this  devil  of  a  Brutandor  gave  me  the  other  day.  I  was 


MAXIMINA.  145 

walking  down  the  Calle  de  Alcala,  with  the  purpose  of 
witnessing  the  entrance  of  the  leaders  of  liberty  (as  you 
call  them  now) .  I  was  accompanied  by  the  mayordomo 
and  two  pupils,  when  I  saw  in  the  procession,  lounging  in 
a  barouche  in  which  rode  two  generals  in  full  uniform, 
my  Brutandor,  saluting  the  people  as  though  he  were  an 
emperor!  .  .  .  Ave  Maria  Purisima!  I  said  to  myself, 
making  the  sign  of  the  cross ;  I  could  scarcely  believe 
the  evidence  of  my  own  eyes.  Of  course  I  knew  that 
this  clown  mixed  in  politics,  and  that  he  had  slobbered  a 
few  articles  in  the  papers,  although  I  always  imagine  that 
they  are  about  as  much  his  as  the  compositions  that  you 
used  to  write  for  him  in  school ;  but  how  could  I  ever 
imagine  that  I  should  be  destined  to  behold  him  trans- 
formed into  a  person  of  importance,  riding  underneath  the 
triumphal  arches  as  though  he  had  just  been  conquering 
the  Gauls  or  overcoming  the  Scythians?  And  I  declare 
the  idiot  was  swelling  up,  swaying  round  in  the  barouche, 
as  though  he  had  ridden  all  his  life  in  one  !  " 

"You  have  always  been  unjust  toward  Mendoza,  Don 
Juan.  More  portentous  things  than  that  remain  to  be 
seen." 

"  I  believe  you,  even  if  you  don't  take  your  oath  on  it. 
If  these  are  the  men  by  whom  you  expect  to  regenerate 
the  country,  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  shall  see  him  very 
soon  made  into  mince-meat." 

And  cursing  the  glorious  revolution,  and  scorning  in  the 
person  of  Brutandor  the  whole  confraternity,  he  took  a 
most  friendly  farewell  of  Rivera,  for  whom  he  had  never 
ceased  to  feel  a  genuine  fondness. 

Little  had  Miguel  cared  for  the  revolutionary  movement, 
although  he  figured  as  one  of  the  most  earnest  adepts  of 
democratic  doctrines.  The  cultivation  of  his  mind  by  an 
incessant  devotion  to  the  best  reading,  and  his  domestic 


146  MAXIMINA. 

life,  took  too  much  of  his  attention  for  him  to  give  to  poli- 
tics more  than  a  very  small  part  of  his  energies  ;  the  very 
journal,  the  management  of  which  he  had  taken  hold  of 
with  enthusiasm,  began  to  bore  him  ;  the  everlasting  polem- 
ics, the  disgusting  phraseology  of  the  leaders,  soon  wearied 
him,  and  he  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  he  could 
resign  his  position,  and  give  himself  altogether  to  more 
serious  and  useful  labors. 

He  was  happy  in  his  home  life,  but  not  in  the  way 
that  he  had  expected  to  be.  For  he  had  imagined  before 
he  was  married  that  love  and  the  joyful  experiences  which 
love  would  bring  would  be  sufficient  to  fill  his  life  abso- 
lutely and  entirely,  without  leaving  him  time  or  desire 
for  other  things.  And  to  discover  that  love  occupied  in 
his  life  a  place  apparently  accessory  or  secondary,  and 
that  he  was  constantly  occupied  in  other  pursuits,  some 
pertaining  to  his  outward  life,  others  to  his  studies  and 
thoughts  ;  that  a  slight  disappointment  would  annoy  him, 
and  any  inappropriate  word  vex  him  as  much  as  before ; 
that  time  and  again  he  would  return  home  from  the  cafe 
stirred  up  by  some  discussion,  and  his  wife's  caresses 
were  not  enough  to  cairn  him, — all  this  surprised  him,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  confess  that  domestic  life  had  to  take 
a  place  subordinate  to  other  influences  and  pursuits. 

Maximiua  herself  had  sometimes  to  suffer  for  the  out- 
side annoyances  caused  by  others  ;  when  he  was  in  an  irri- 
table frame  of  mind,  it  took  a  very  slight  annoyance  to 
upset  him  ;  and  although  he  was  conscious  of  his  unfair- 
ness, he  nevertheless  did  not  fail  to  speak  his  mind  to  his 
wife  when  the  neatness  of  his  room,  or  of  his  linen,  or 
any  trifling  detail  was  not  up  to  the  mark. 

To  be  sure,  as  soon  as  he  saw  her  eyes  fill  with  tears, 
he  was  sorry,  and  immediately  gave  her  a  loving  embrace 
and  many  kisses.  As  for  Maximina,  as  soon  as  she  felt 


MAXIMINA.  147 

her  husband's  lips  on  her  face,  all  her  griefs  would  fade 
away  as  if  by  magic;  so  that  their  quarrels — if  such  a 
name  can  be  applied  when  one  does  the  disputing  and  the 
other  makes  no  reply  —  never  lasted  more  than  a  few 
minutes. 

In  a  word,  as  our  hero  suffered  from  the  complaint, 
which  among  children  is  called  mimos,  or  —  what  amounts 
to  the  same  thing  —  as  he  was  accustomed  to  see  his  wife 
constantly  sweet-tempered,  affectionate,  and  patient,  it 
never  once  occurred  to  him  that  she  could  be  anything 
else,  and  for  that  very  reason  he  could  not  appreciate  the 
value  of  that  peace  and  home  comfort  which  so  many  men 
seek  in  vain. 

Maximina,  on  the  other  hand,  enjoyed  a  happiness 
almost  celestial.  The  presence  of  her  husband,  with 
whom  she  each  day  fell  deeper  in  love,  was  sufficient  to 
keep  her  in  a  state  of  felicity  which  shone  in  her  eyes, 
and  was  manifested  in  all  her  words  and  movements. 
"When  he  was  in  the  house,  she  could  scarcely  take  her 
eyes  from  him  ;  she  would  follow  him  about  wherever  he 
went ;  she  even  liked  to  watch  him  when  he  was  wash- 
ing and  dressing  himself.  Miguel  used  to  majje  sport 
of  her  on  account  of  this  constant  pursuit ;  occasionally 
when  he  was  in  bad  humor  he  would  say  :  — 

"  Come  now,  leave  me,  for  I  am  going  to  get  dressed." 

And  he  would  make  believe  shut  the  door ;  but  she 
would  respond  with  such  beseeching  eyes  :  — 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  drive  me  out  of  your  room, 
Miguel,"  that  he  could  not  help  smiling,  and,  taking  her 
by  the  hand,  he  would  put  her  down  in  a  chair  as  though 
she  were  a  child,  saying  :  — 

"Very  well ;  but  don't  you  move  from  there." 

When  he  was  away  from  home,  he  was  never  for  a 
single  instant  absent  from  her  thoughts  ;  when  she  had  to 


148  MAXIMINA. 

talk  with  the  maid-servants,  she  would  always  manage 
to  refer  to  him  directly  or  indirectly.  If  she  gave  orders 
to  have  the  mirrors  washed,  it  was  so  that  he  might  not 
notice  that  they  were  soiled ;  if  she  consulted  her  cook- 
book, it  was  to  learn  how  to  make  some  dish  that  he 
liked  ;  the  clothes  that  she  was  mending  were  his,  and  his 
was  the  chain  that  she  cleaned  with  powder,  and  the  silk 
handkerchief  which  she  sent  her  maid  to  wash,  and  the 
shirts  which  she  sent  out  to  be  done  up,  because  she  did 
not  feel  that  she  was  able  to  rival  the  laundry  man,  though 
her  will  was  good. 

The  only  little  clouds  that  crossed  the  horizon  of  her 
happiness  was  her  husband's  unreasonable  fretfulness, 
which  seemed  to  increase.  Sometimes  she  would  say, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes :  — 

"  I  was  worried  about  to-morrow,  because  for  the  last 
five  days  you  have  been  scolding  me  !  " 

Miguel,  grieved  as  always  to  see  her  weep,  fondled  her, 
and  would  return  to  his  usual  serenity  and  content. 

Nevertheless,  there  was  one  cloud  larger  and  blacker 
than  the  others,  and  the  cause  of  it  was  the  fact  that  on 
the  second  floor  of  the  same  house  lived  the  widowed 
Countess  de  Losilla  with  her  two  daughters  of  twenty- 
three  and  twenty- four  years  old,  six  and  seven  years 
older  respectively  than  Maximina.  Cards,  bows  on  the 
stairway,  and  smiles  from  the  balcony  brought  about  an 
exchange  of  calls,  and  finally  there  sprang  up  a  very  cor- 
dial friendship  between  the  young  ladies  and  the  bride. 

If  not  exactly  pretty,  the}"  were  rather  handsome,  to  say 
the  least :  the  older,  Rosaura,  a  brunette  with  coarse  feat- 
ures, and  handsome  though  too  prominent  black  eyes  ;  the 
other  daughter,  Filomena,  was  very  slender,  and  had  a 
pale  complexion,  green  eyes,  a  strange  and  mischievous 
look,  and  reddish  gray  hair.  This  young  lady  had  a  cer- 


MAXIMINA.  149 

tain  amount  of  forwardness  unbecoming  her  sex  and  edu- 
cation, and  this  pleased  the  men  even  more  than  her  figure. 

Miguel  enjoyed  keeping  up  a  glib  conversation  with 
her,  and  it  amused  him  to  see  with  what  unrestraint  and 
ease  the  girl  slid  over  all  obstacles,  and  what  skill  she 
displayed  in  making  retorts,  and  giving  her  phrases  the 
meaning  that  she  desired. 

And  it  must  be  said  that  when  they  came  on  dangerous 
ground  they  several  times  narrowly  escaped  a  conversa- 
tion of  exceedingly  questionable  taste.  When  such  a 
skirmish  of  wit  began,  Maximina  used  to  walk  up  and 
down  the  balcony  with  Rosaura ;  although  she  smiled,  it 
was  evident  that  she  did  not  approve.  When  she  and 
her  husband  were  alone  afterwards,  she  said  nothing 
about  it,  but  the  way  in  which  she  spoke  of  Filomena 
showed  that  she  felt  no  great  esteem  for  her. 

"Well,  in  spite  of  her  boldness  and  her  masculine 
ways,"  Miguel  used  to  say,  "  she  is  a  nice  girl  .  .  .  much 
better  than  her  sister,  according  to  my  way  of  thinking." 

Maximina  said  nothing,  so  as  not  to  contradict  him, 
but  she  had  her  own  very  decided  opinion.  A  vague 
feeling  of  jealousy,  for  which  she  could  not  full)-  account, 
contributed  toward  making  her  feel  an  antipathy  to  her. 

Thus  matters  stood,  when,  one  morning  Miguel,  lying 
back  in  an  easy-chair  in  his  study,  was  tranquilly  listen- 
ing to  Maximina,  who,  seated  on  a  stool  at  his  feet,  and 
leaning  her  shoulder  against  his  knees,  was  reading  aloud 
from  Adventures  of  the  Squire  Marcos  of  Obregdn,  written 
by  Vicente  Espinel.  While  the  young  wife  was  reading, 
he  was  playing  with  the  braids  of  her  hair,  which  she  wore 
loose  in  the  house  for  his  special  pleasure. 

The  reading  could  not  have  been  much  to  Maximina's 
taste,  jiidging  by  the  careless  and  inattentive  way  in 
which  she  modulated  her  voice. 


150  MAXIMINA. 

The  novels  which  she  liked  were  not  those  where  every- 
thing that  takes  place  is  commonplace  and  prosaic,  but 
another  sort,  the  plot  and  extraordinary  action  of  which 
piqued  her  curiosity. 

Thus  almost  all  the  books  brought  by  her  husband 
for  her  to  read  made  her  tired  and  sleepy,  and  it  sur- 
prised her  that  he  praised  these,  and  called  those  that  she 
liked  pestiferous. 

She  had  just  finished  reading  one  chapter,  terribly  heavy 
for  her,  when  suddenly,  turning  her  head  around  and 
giving  him  a  look  which  was  half  innocent  and  half 
mischievous,  she  asked  :  — 

"Do  you  like  this?" 

"  Very  much  indeed." 

"  I  thought  so  ;  when  a  book  does  not  please  me  now- 
adays, I  always  say  to  myself  :  '  How  fine  it  must  be  !  '  ; 

She  said  these  words  with  such  ingenuousness  and  such 
a  graceful  resignation  that  her  husband,  laughing  heartily, 
took  her  head  between  his  hands  and  kissed  her  enthu- 
siastically. 

The  young  wife,  encouraged  by  this  caress,  joyfully 
began  to  read  another  chapter. 

She  must  have  been  about  half  through  it,  when  she 
suddenly  paused  and  uttered  a  slight  ay  I  in  such  a  pecu- 
liar intonation  that  Miguel  was  surprised ;  he  started  up 
and  could  see  that  his  wife's  face  was  flushed  and  full  of 
an  almost  mystic  joy. 

"What  is  the  matter?" 

"  I  just  felt  ...  as  though  something  ..." 

"  What  was  it?"  he  asked,  although  he  knew  perfectly 
well  what  it  was. 

"  As  if  a  little,  wee  .foot  gently  touched  me." 

"  That  is  nothing  strange." 

Maximina  did  not  care  to  read  more  ;  she  laid  the  book 


MAXIMINA.  151 

on  a  chair  and  knelt  down  in  front  of  her  husband  :  they 
began  to  talk  eagerly  about  their  child. 

' '  See  here !  how  do  you  know  that  it  is  going  to  be  a 
boy,  and  not  a  girl  ?  " 

"  Because  I  want  it  to  oe  a  boy." 

"But  now  /  want  it  to  be  a  girl,  and  like  you.  .  .  . 
But  do  me  the  favor  to  get  up,  because,  if  any  servant 
should  come  in  and  surprise  you  in  this  attitude,  it  would 
be  very  ridiculous.  ..." 

"  No,  no  ;  I  don't  want  .  .  ." 

At  that  moment  steps  were  heard  at  the  door,  as  Miguel 
had  feared,  and  a  voice,  that  was  not  a  servant's,  called 
out :  — 

"  Can  I  come  in?  " 

Maximina  was  on  her  feet  in  a  flash. 

"  Walk  right  in  !" 

Filomena  entered  in  her  morning  gown,  with  her  hair 
in  studied  disarray,  and  her  body  submerged,  if  such  an 
expression  be  permitted,  in  a  magnificent  blue  silk  morn- 
ing gown  trimmed  with  white  lace. 

Miguel  had  never  been  able  to  persuade  his  wife  to 
dress  in  such  an  elegant  and  sumptuous  fashion  at  home  ; 
the  poor  child  did  not  enjoy  putting  on  dresses  that  were 
for  ornament  rather  than  use,  because,  as  she  said,  it 
made  her  feel  bad  to  wear  a  new  suit  merely  to  go  in  and 
out  of  the  kitchen. 

"I  am  afraid  that  I  am  disturbing  you,"  said  the 
young  lady,  casting  a  malicious  glance  at  Maximina's 
confused  and  blushing  face. 

"No,  no;  not  at  all,"  she  replied,  growing  still  more 
confused. 

' '  One  has  to  act  with  great  circumspection  toward 
newly  married  people.  .  .  .  But  then,  you  are  not  among 
the  softest.  I  came  in  without  ringing,  because  the  ser- 


152  MAXIMINA. 

vaiits  had  left  the  door  open.  But  if  I  am  disturbing  you 
I  will  go.  ...  I  have  known  the  eleventh  commandment 
this  long  time." 

That  light  and  slightly  insolent  tone  amazed  and 
wounded  the  little  provincial  girl  more  and  more  each  day. 

"On  the  contrary,  at  that  very  moment,  we  were  talk- 
ing about  you,"  said  Miguel,  in  the  same  light  and  jest- 
ing tone,  perfectly  intended  to  convey  the  idea  that  he 
was  prevaricating. 

"  Man  alive  !  what  are  you  telling  me?"  she  rejoined, 
ironically.  "Well,  I  have  come,"  she  added,  sitting 
down  in  an  easy-chair  and  crossing  her  legs,  "to  ask  you 
if  you  will  let  Maximina  go  with  us  to  the  opening  of  the 
Royal ;  we  have  a  box  ..." 

Maximina  gave  him  a  look,  signifying  that  he  should 
say  no;  but  either  because  he  lacked  the  wish  or  the 
courage,  he  replied  :  — 

"  A  thousand  thanks.  .  .  .     There  she  is." 

Filomena  looked  at  Maximina,  and  she,  not  having  the 
strength  to  refuse  or  to  make  an  excuse,  made  an  ambig- 
uous gesture,  which  the  countess'  daughter  interpreted 
as  an  acceptance. 

"Very  good ;  at  eight  sharp  we  will  call  for  her. 
You  can  come  to  our  box,  also,  if  you  like  ;  or,  perhaps 
you  may  like  to  improve  the  opportunity  for  a  little  dissi- 
pation." 

"  Filomena !  for  shame  !  " 

"  Yes,  yes ;  how  virtuous  you  are  !  Any  one  who  trusts 
in  you  must  be  fresh  !  " 

And  jumping  up,  she  began  to  play  with  the  paper- 
cutter,  the  paper-weight,  and  all  the  objects  that  lay  on 
the  table,  among  others  a  box  of  cigars. 

' '  To  see  what  cigars  you  smoke !  .  .  .  Man !  what 
little  bits  of  ones  !  what  cunning  ones  !  Are  they  mild?" 


MAXIM1NA.  153 

"Rather." 

"  Come  now,  I  should  like  to  try  'em." 

And  without  any  hesitation  she  took  a  "  puro,"  and  bit 
off  the  end.  Miguel  laughed,  and  handed  her  a  lighted 
match. 

"I  have  a  very  clear  head,"  she  replied,  giving  a  bold 
stare  at  Maximina. 

But  after  four  puffs  she  threw  away  the  cigar,  say- 
ing:— 

' '  Horrors  !  "What  detestable  cigars  you  smoke  !  They 
taste  as  if  they  were  from  C6rdova  !  " 

"You  little  hypocrite  !     It  makes  you  squeamish  !  " 

Filomena  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  began  to  run 
over  the  books  in  his  library,  naming  them  aloud  :  — 

"  Works  of  Moliere.  .  .  .  Descartes;  Discourse  con- 
cerning Method.  .  .  .  Method  of  what?  .  .  .  Gil  Bias 
de  Santillana!  Ouf!  how  dull  that  book  is!  I  could 
not  get  half  through  it.  Haven't  you  any  of  Octave  Fueil- 
let's  novels?  No?  Then  you  show  very  poor  taste.  .  .  . 
Plato:  Dialogues.  Goethe:  Faust.  I  should  like  to  take 
this  book,  Miguel,  because  I  onh-  know  the  opera,  and  I 
am  very  much  interested  in  the  argument.  .  .  .  Stuart 
Mill:  Logic.  .  .  .  Saint  Thomas:  TJieodicea.  Lope  de 
Vega :  Comedias.  .  .  .  Balzac :  Physiology  of  Marriage. 
...  I  have  read  that  book ;  it  has  some  very  delicate 
and  true  observations.  .  .  .  Haven't  you  read  it,  Maxi- 
mina? " 

Maximina  was  dumfounded. 

"That  is  one  of  the  books  that  Miguel  has  forbidden 
me  to  read." 

Filomena  fixed  her  ej'es  on  him,  and  smiled  in  a  pecu- 
liar way,  as  though  to  say,  "I  understand  you." 

Then  suddenly,  with  the  vivacity  and  ease  which  marked 
all  her  movements,  she  left  the  bookcase,  opened  the  par- 


154  MAXIMINA. 

lor  door,  find  went  in.  Maximina  and  Miguel  followed 
her.  She  sat  down  at  the  piano  and  began  to  give  a 
powerful  rendering  of  a  polka.  Before  she  had  played  it 
through  she  jumped  up,  and  went  to  the  entred6s,  where 
there  were  two  great  pots  of  flowers,  and  buried  her  face 
in  them  again  and  again,  breathing  in  the  fragrance  with 
ecstacy. 

"  Oh,  what  lovely  flowers  !     Did  you  buy  them? " 

"  No  ;  my  sister-in-law  Julia  sent  them  to  me." 

"I  am  going  to  give  you  a  slip,"  said  Miguel. 

"  No  ;  it  is  a  shame  to  mutilate  a  growing  plant." 

"It  won't  mutilate  it.  I  am  going  to  make  you  a  little 
bouquet.  Maximina,  bring  me  some  thread  and  a  pair  of 
scissors." 

The  young  wife  went  for  what  he  wanted,  and  handed 
them  to  him  gravely,  without  saying  a  word.  Then  she 
went  and  sat  down  on  the  sofa,  and  from  there  watched 
the  arrangement  of  the  bouquet. 

While  this  was  proceeding,  Miguel  and  Filomena  kept 
up  a  constant  warfare  of  repartees,  in  which  the  young 
lady  showed  sovereign  freedom,  and  he  very  little  respect 
for  her. 

Maximiua  listened  to  what  they  said,  perhaps  without 
understanding  a  word  ;  but  the  expression  of  her  sweet 
e3res  kept  growing  more  and  more  grave  and  thoughtful. 

Finrvlly  Miguel  handed  the  young  lady  the  bouquet,  with 
a  gallant  smile.  She  accepted  it  with  a  smile  of  thanks. 

"  For  this  gallant  action  I  forgive  you  for  all  the  saucy 
things  that  you  have  said  to  me.  Caramba  I  it  is  already 
eleven  o'clock  !  "  said  she,  consulting  the  clock  that  stood 
in  front  of  the  mirror,  "and  mamma  told  me  to  make 
haste  !  Adi6s,  Miguel !  see  you  later,  Maximina !  " 

And  she  flew  from  the  room  like  a  rocket,  and  opened 
and  shut  the  outer  door  herself.  The  keen  and  somewhat 


MAXIMINA.  155 

mocking  glance  which  she  gave  Maximina  as  she  went 
out  showed  that  she  had  an  inkling  of  what  was  passing 
through  her  mind  at  that  moment. 

The  young  wife  started  to  rise  ;  but  when  she  saw  how 
swiftly  Filomena  was  taking  her  departure,  she  sat  down 
again,  and  remained  there  with  her  arms  by  her  side,  her 
head  bent  over,  and  her  eyes  on  the  floor.  Miguel  was 
looking  at  her  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eyes,  and  under- 
standing perfectly  what  that  attitude  signified :  he  hesi- 
tated for  several  minutes  before  he  threw  his  arm  around 
her. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  he  asked,  drawing  nearer  and 
sitting  down  by  her  side. 

"  Nothing,"  she  replied,  lightly  lifting  upon  him  her 
sweet  eyes  dimmed  with  tears. 

"Oh,  what  a  little  goose!  Jealous  of  that  impudent 
creature !  " 

"No,  no  !  I  am  not  jealous,"  rejoined  the  girl,  forcing 
herself  to  smile.  "Only  I  somehow  felt  a  pain  without 
knowing  why.  ...  I  was  so  happy  till  a  moment  ago  !  " 

"And  you  are  now  just  the  same  as  you  were,  sweet- 
heart! "  he  said,  embracing  her.  "Isn't  it  true  that  }"OU 
are  ?  ...  Tell  me  yes  !  .  .  .  A  few  jokes  with  that 
shameless  girl  —  are  the}'  sufficient  to  destroy  all  your 
happiness?  That  isn't  common  sense.  .  .  ." 

It  needed  a  few  more  words  to  banish  his  wife's  pain- 
ful impression  ;  and  then,  wiping  her  eyes,  she  exclaimed 
with  a  trembling  voice  torn  from  her  very  heart :  — 

"If  you  knew,  Miguel,  how  I  loved  you  !  " 

After  their  reconcilation  they  went  out  of  the  parlor 
with  their  arms  about  each  other. 


156  MAXIMINA. 


XII. 

JULITA  often  visited  her  brother  and  sister,  but  her 
presence  was  not  as  pleasant  for  them  as  it  used  to  be. 
The  young  girl's  character  had  notably  changed  during 
the  last  few  weeks ;  she  rarely  gave  way  to  that  heart}' 
and  contagious  laugh  which  used  to  fascinate  all  who 
heard  it ;  nor  did  her  conversation  any  longer  sparkle 
with  the  piquante  and  ready  wit  which  formerly  entranced 
every  one.  She  had  grown  more  reserved  and  thoughtful ; 
the  smile  that  from  time  to  time  hovered  over  her  lips 
was  melancholy ;  she  had  become  irritable  and  peevish ; 
in  the  course  of  a  few  days  she  had  three  quarrels  with 
her  brother  on  the  most  trifling  subjects  :  such  a  thing  in 
days  gone  by  had  rarely  happened. 

"What  a  pity,  Julita !  "  exclaimed  Miguel  at  the  close 
of  one  of  them.  "  You  are  following  in  mamma's  foot- 
steps." 

Her  physical  appearance  had  also  undergone  some 
change,  and  not  for  the  better ;  the  roses  of  her  cheeks 
had  paled  a  little  ;  there  were  blue  circles  under  her  63-68 ; 
and  though  this  made  them  more  lustrous,  it  took  away 
in  large  measure  that  sweet  and  picturesque  expression 
that  was  characteristic  of  them. 

Miguel  and  Maximina  noticed  these  things,  and  had 
many  times  commented  on  them  with  sorrow  ;  but  there 
was  one  thing  that  attracted  their  attention  above  all  and 
was  the  subject  of  long  discussion  between  them  :  this 
was  the  invincible  antipathy  which  Julia  showed  to  her 
cousin  Don  Alfonso,  and  the  eagerness  with  which  she 
tried  to  bring  him  into  the  conversation,  so  as  to  blacken 
his  character. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  defect  which  the  Andalusian 


MAXIMINA.  157 

gentleman  did  not  possess  in  his  cousin's  eyes,  and  she 
took  a  malicious  delight  in  enumerating  and  exaggerating 
them.  In  this  respect,  she  every  day  made  some  new 
discovery  which  she  was  sure  to  bring  to  her  brother  and 
sister. 

At  one  time  it  was  that  he  had  brought  a  great  lot  of 
neckties,  which  to  her  mind  proved  that  he  squandered 
his  money  ;  then,  again,  she  made  all  manner  of  ridicule 
of  him,  on  account  of  the  perfect  battery  of  perfumes 
which  he  had  on  his  toilet  table  ;  at  times  she  called  him 
lazy,  because  he  never  opened  a  book ;  at  others,  she 
ridiculed  him  for  curling  his  mustache  witli  the  tongs  ; 
then  she  would  complain  of  him  because  he  would  not 
take  her  to  walk.  But  what  made  her  most  indignant 
and  beside  herself  was  his  habit  of  not  going  to  bed  till 
two  or  three  or  even  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
because  two  or  three  times  he  had  not  done  so  till  day- 
light. 

"What  does  this  man  do  after  he  leaves  the  theatre? 
Where  does  he  go  ?  The  best  way  would  be  not  to  think 
about  it.  He  is  every  way  disgusting,  repugnant !  " 

"  It  is  too  bad  !  "  Miguel  rejoined.  "  But  there  is  no 
reason  for  you  to  be  so  exercised  about  it.  Matpma 
invited  him  to  spend  a  while  at  her  house.  When  she 
does  not  receive  him  any  longer,  it  will  be  all  over." 

Julia  made  no  reply  to  this ;  but  the  next  day  she  was 
again  going  assiduously  out  of  her  way  to  get  her  cousin 
"  on  the  carpet,"  or,  more  accurately  speaking,  in  the 
pillory. 

"  Do  you  know  it  seems  to  me  that  Julia  is  in  love 
with  Alfonso  ?  "  said  Maximiua  to  her  husband,  one  night 
as  they  were  going  to  bed. 

"  It  seems  to  me  so  too,"  replied  Miguel,  with  a  deep 
frown;  "  and  I  am  sorry  for  it,  because  Saavedra  is  a 


158  MAXIMINA. 

heartless,  bad  m:m,  who  would  not  marrj-  her,  and  if  he 
did  marry  her,  would  make  her  wretched.  .  .  .  And  the 
worst  of  it  is,"  he  added  after  a  pause,  "  mamma  is  as 
much  in  love  with  him  as  she  is  !  Yesterday  I  tried  to 
give  her  a  hint  about  the  impropriety  of  keeping  him  so 
long  at  her  house,  and  she  gave  me  one  of  her  violent, 
impertinent  replies,  so  that  I  have  no  more  desire  to  touch 
on  that  subject,  and  yet  I  feel  that  it  is  very  necessary." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  and  Maximina  ex- 
claimed :  — 

"Poor  Julia!" 

"  Yes,  poor  Julia !  God  grant  that  you  may  have  no 
more  reason  to  say  that  than  now !  " 

During  the  two  months  that  Don  Alfonso  spent  in 
Madrid  he  amused  himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  ability  ; 
his  name,  his  figure,  his  money,  and  his  notoriety  as  a 
fighter,  which  was  in  curious  contrast  to  his  smooth  and 
peaceable  character,  gave  him  entrance  into  the  most 
select  society  ;  he  immediately  became  intimate  with  the 
most  fashionable  young  ladies,  and  the  houses  where  he 
called  were  the  most  aristocratic  in  the  court  circles. 

"When  he  was  at  his  aunt's,  instead  of  making  parade 
of  this,  he  never  said  where  he  was  going  nor  where  he 
had  been,  nor  did  he  ever  mention  any  episode  that  would 
betraj'  it.  On  the  contrary,  he  took  particular  pains  to 
avoid  speaking  of  high  society,  in  which  they  did  not 
move,  so  as  to  spare  them  the  petty  mortification  which 
for  some  women  is  apt  to  be  really  painful. 

He  was  the  same  extremely  respectful  gentleman  toward 
his  aunt,  affable  and  gallant  toward  his  cousin,  although 
in  all  that  he  did  he  managed  to  show  a  peculiar  haughty 
coolness,  which  is  the  quality  best  adapted  for  assuring 
success  with  the  ladies. 

One  evening  Julia,  on  entering  the  theatre,  saw  her 


MAXIMINA.  159 

cousin  in  the  box  of  a  duchess  famous  at  that  time  for 
her  beauty,  her  discretion,  as  well  as  her  conquests. 

The  position  which  the  two  occupied,  in  the  rear  of  the 
box,  and  bending  toward  each  other  until  their  cheeks 
almost  touched,  the  insinuating  smile  on  his  face,  and  the 
flattered  vanity  which  was  expressed  in  hers,  all  made  on 
the  young  girl  such  an  impression  that,  for  the  moment, 
she  was  afraid  of  falling,  and  it  was  by  mere  force  of 
will  that  she  managed  to  reach  their  seats.  When  she 
had  recovered  from  that  painful  surprise,  she  said  to  her- 
self :  ' '  But  what  folly !  Why  should  I  feel  such  an 
impression  if  I  have  absolutely  nothing  in  common  with 
him?  And  even  if  he  were  my  fiance,  what  would  there 
be  peculiar  in  his  talking  with  that  lady  ?  " 

At  that  moment  Saavedra  gracefully  waved  them  a 
salute  with  his  hand.  Julia  replied  with  a  forced  smile. 

The  duchess  turned  around  to  see  whom  her  friend 
was  saluting,  and  levelled  her  opera-glass  in  a  most 
impertinent  fashion.  Julia,  being  conscious  of  the  stare, 
became  so  serious  that  it  was  pitiful  to  see  her.  And 
from  the  corner  of  her  eye  she  noticed  that  the  duchess, 
laying  down  her  glass,  bent  toward  her  cousin  and  said  a 
few  words,  to  which  he  replied,  looking  toward  her  again. 
Then  the  lady  said  something  more  with  a  half-jesting 
smile,  which  caused  Saavedra  to  reply  with  a  cold  smile 
and  a  gesture  of  displeasure. 

"  That  woman  has  just  been  saying  something  about 
me,"  thought  Julita ;  and  she  trembled  to  see  Don  Al- 
fonso's gesture.  A  hot  gust  of  anger  flared  up  into  her 
face,  and  giving  them  a  proud  and  scornful  glance,  she 
murmured:  "Say  whatever  you  please;  you  will  see 
how  much  I  care  for  you ! " 

And  during  the  whole  evening  she  did  not  once  again 
even  accidentally  direct  her  eyes  toward  the  box. 


1 60  MAXIMINA. 

r 

Between  the  second  and  third  acts  Saavedra  came  to 
speak  with  theui,  and  sat  down  behind  them  in  an  empty 
seat.  A  pale  young  man  with  spectacles  came  along  to 
do  the  same,  and  sat  down  in  another  seat.  Julia  intro- 
duced them  with  perfect  composure  :  — 

"My  cousin  Alfonso  Saavedra  .  .  .  Senor  Hernandez 
del  Pulgar." 

Then  she  showed  herself  unusually  jolly  and  gracious. 
The  conversation  turned  on  the  drama  of  the  evening, 
which  was  more  terrible  and  melancholy  than  usual  with 
the  romantic  school.  Jtilita,  with  no  little  cruelty,  paro- 
died the  most  touching  scenes. 

' '  That  man  makes  me  nervous  who  gets  angry  and  is 
always  in  a  fury  and  always  saying  that  he  is  going  to 
fight.  I  wish  he  would  hurry  up  about  it,  and  leave  us  in 
peace ;  ay  !  how  stupid  !  I  don't  envy  that  pedantic,  de- 
testable young  lady  her  lover !  The  only  thing  enviable 
about  her  is  her  facility  in  fainting  away.  Tell  me,  Her- 
nandez, what  is  the  name  of  that  senor  who  is  so  furious 
and  '  hopelessly  given  to  Barabbas'?" 

"  Don  Marcellino.  .  .  .  What  I  don't  understand  is 
this :  why  does  Mercedes  dismiss  Fernando  as  soon  as 
her  father  dies?" 

' '  Man  alive !  because  the  tender  sweetheart  does  not 
wear  full  mourning.  And  what  is  the  young  lady  going 
to  do  without  father  or  mother  or  watch-dog?  Die?  I 
should  like  to  see  it !  ...  Tell  me ;  wasn't  it  very  im- 
proper for  Dona  Elvira  and  Don  Marcellino  to  be  alone 
together  so  long? " 

The  young  men  laughed,  and  exchanged  significant 
glances. 

"Girl!  what  nonsense  are  you  stringing  together 
now?"  exclaimed  the  la  brigadiera,  sharply. 

Julita  blushed,  perceiving  that  she  had  gone  too  far ;  but 


MAXIMINA.  161 

still  she  did  not  cease  to  be  gay  and  talkative,  though  it  was 
so  manifestly  put  on  that  it  escaped  neither  Don  Alfonso 
nor  her  mother.  Hernandez  del  Pulgar  left,  perfect!}7  car- 
ried away  by  her  amiability  and  wit. 

In  the  third  act  Saavedra  returned  to  his  place  beside 
the  duchess,  without  Julita  appearing  to  notice  it  at  all. 
When  they  left  the  theatre,  it  was  raining,  and  Don  Al- 
fonso went  down  and  put  them  into  a  cab. 

When  he  reached  home  half  an  hour  later,  he  found 
Julia  taking  a  cup  of  lime  juice  in  the  dining-room. 

As  their  eyes  met,  Don  Alfonso  smiled  not  very  openly. 
Julita  had  a  very  high  color.  Don  Alfonso's  smile  seemed 
to  say :  "  I  know  why  you  are  drinking  that  tila" 

Julita's  blushes  proclaimed  in  a  loud  voice  :  ' '  You  have 
caught  me  in  the  very  act !  " 

At  the  beginning  of  summer  Saavedra  determined  to 
go  and  make  his  mother  a  visit  before  returning  to  Paris. 
Julia  heard  the  news  with  indifference  ;  she  even  started 
to  sing  some  Malaga  songs  at  the  piano,  leaving  her 
mother  and  cousin  to  talk  about  the  journey. 

La  brigadiera  begged  him  to  stay  a  few  days  longer ; 
Don  Alfonso  refused  gently  but  obstinately,  declaring 
that  he  had  given  his  mother  notice,  and  had  named  the 
day  on  which  he  should  reach  Seville. 

La  brigadiera  urged  him  persistently,  like  a  woman 
accustomed  to  have  her  own  way,  and  Don  Alfonso  re- 
sisted no  less  persistently,  like  a  man  whose  determina- 
tions, though  expressed  politely,  are  irrevocably  fixed. 

Julia  suddenly  stopped  singing,  and  half  turning  round, 
said,  in  a  dry  and  impatient  tone  :  — 

"  Mamma,  you  are  annoying  him  ;  do  cease  !  " 

"I  am  not  going  for  my  own  pleasure,  Julia,"  returned 
Don  Alfonso,  blandly  ;  ' '  you  know  too  well  that  nowhere 
in  the  world  am  1  more  contented  than  I  am  here,  and 


162  MAXIMINA. 

that  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  to  be  with  Aunt  Angela  and 
you  ;  but  I  have  duties  toward  my  mother  that  I  must 
fulfil,  and  I  am  obliged  to  be  in  Seville." 

Julia  listened  to  these  words  with  her  back  turned,  and 
once  more  began  to  pla}^  and  sing,  without  making  any 
reply. 

The  day  set  by  Don  Alfonso  for  his  departure  was  a 
Wednesday ;  the  two  or  three  days  preceding,  Julia  had 
been  smiling  and  indifferent  as  before*;  but  the  circle 
under  her  eyes  was  darker  and  wider,  and  from  time  to 
time  she  would  remain  looking  into  vacancy. 

Saavedra  had  determined  to  start  in  the  morning,  on 
an  early  train,  with  the  idea  of  spending  the  day  at 
Aranjuez  with  a  friend  who  had  a  country  place  there. 

He  therefore  arose  very  early,  and  after  dressing  he 
gave  the  last  touches  to  his  packing.  His  aunt  also 
arose  early,  to  see  him  off,  and  get  him  something  to  eat 
besides. 

But  Julia  paid  no  heed,  and  remained  shut  in  her  room, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  la  brigadiera,  who  had  called 
her  to  say  good  by  to  their  guest. 

Taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when  she  was  busy  in 
the  dining-room,  Saavedra  slipped  off  to  his  cousin's  room, 
gently  raised  the  latch,  and  opened  the  door. 

Julia  was  in  bed ;  her  eyes  flashed  angrily  on  the  in- 
truder. 

"What  have  you  come  for?"  she  demanded,  frowning 
severely.  "Go  away,  go  away  immediately  !  This  is  a 
most  atrocious  thing  to  do  !  " 

But  Don  Alfonso,  not  heeding  her  protest,  calmly 
walked  into  the  room,  and  said  in  a  humble  voice:  — 

"I  have  come  to  say  adi6s,  cousin." 

"Adi6s!"  exclaimed  the  girl  dryly,  and  dropping  her 
eyes  upon  the  bed-spread. 


MAXIMINA.  163 

Don  Alfonso  came  to  her,  and  audaciously  taking  her 
face  between  his  hands  and  imprinting  a  kiss  upon  it,  he 
said  at  the  same  time  :  — 

"  In  spite  of  all  this  disdain  and  severity,  I  know  well 
that  you  love  me.  ..." 

The  girl,  confused  and  enraged  by  his  impudence  and 
what  he  said,  exclaimed  :  — 

"  No,  no  !  I  do  not  love  you  !  You  lie  !  ...  Go  this 
instant !  " 

"You  love  me,  and  I  love  you,"  replied  Don  Alfonso, 
smoothing  her  face  with  perfect  unconcern. 

"Fool!  dunce!  impudent!"  cried  the  girl,  with  more 
and  more  anger,  "I  do  not  love  you;  but  if  I  did,  this 
would  be  enough  to  make  me  hate  you  !  Go  !  " 

"I  am  not  a  dunce  and  I  am  not  impudent.  I  confess 
humbly  that  I  would  die  for  you  ! " 

"Die  whenever  you  please,  but  go!  Go  this  instant, 
or  I  will  scream  !  " 

"Don't  trouble  yourself  any  more;  I  am  going,"  said 
he,  with  a  smile  :  "  I  am  going ;  but  I  leave  my  heart  here. 
I  will  write  you  as  soon  as  I  reach  Seville." 

He  left  the  room  and  shut  the  door ;  he  remained  a 
moment  motionless,  and  then  opened  it  again  softly  to  look 
in.  Julia  had  turned  over  and  was  sobbing,  with  her  face 
hidden  under  the  sheets. 


XIII. 

IN  point  of  fact,  all  the  while  that  he  was  in  Seville,  he 
did  not  take  pains  to  write  her  once,  possibly  because 
other  beauties  and  other  amusements  used  up  his  time ; 
perhaps  through  calculation,  perhaps  for  both  reasons. 

On   the   other   hand,    he  frequently   sent  very  tender 


164  MAX1MINA. 

epistles  to  his  aunt,  and  never  failed  to  express  his  re- 
gards for  Julia. 

These  little  lines  of  remembrance  exasperated  the  girl 
beyond  measure,  and  she  used  to  hasten  to  her  room  as 
soon  as  she  saw  her  mother  with  a  letter  in  her  hands,  so 
as  to  escape  the  infliction. 

The  month  of  July  came ;  la  brigadfera  wrote  to  Seville 
announcing  her  departure  for  Sautauder,1  in  whose  "  Asti- 
llero  "  she  rented  a  cottage  for  the  two  hottest  mouths  of 
the  summer. 

Saavedra  replied,  saying  that  he  was  going  to  Biarritz, 
and  from  there  to  Paris ;  he  hoped  that  they  would  have 
a  very  pleasant  time,  and  that  Julia  would  enjoy  it 
much. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  one  August  afternoon  as  she 
was  riding  in  the  Alameda  with  a  family  which,  like  them- 
selves, lived  at  the  Astillero  (her  mother  had  not  gone  into 
town  because  she  had  an  attack  of  neuralgic  headache) , 
Julia  suddenly  caught  sight  of  her  cousin  in  company  with 
some  young  men.  She  grew  terribl}'  pale,  and  instantby 
blushed  redder  than  a  cherry.  It  was  impossible  for  her 
nervous  and  ardent  nature  to  control  even  the  slightest 
impressions,  still  less  those  that  toitched  her  heart  to  the 
quick.  She  turned  her  head  to  avoid  bowing  to  him, 
although  she  saw  that  he  started  to  come  toward  her ;  at 
the  next  turn  she  did  the  same,  and  so  for  three  or  four 
times,  putting  on  such  a  grave  and  frowning  face  that 
any  one  would  -willingly  have  foregone  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  her. 

Even  while  she  was  acting  in  this  way,  her  conscience 
told  her  that  her  conduct  was  very  rude  and  strange,  and 
after  her  emotion  had  grown  a  little  calmer,  she  could 

1  Santander,  known  to  the  sailors  as  St.  Andrew's,  is  a  seaport  on 
the  P^y  of  Biscay;  astillero  means,  originally,  a  shipyard. 


MAXIMINA.  165 

not  help  saying  to  herself,  "  What  a  piece  of  folly  I  have 
just  committed !  " 

And  the  next  time,  she  faced  Saavedra  at  a  distance 
and  bowed  to  him  very  courteously,  though  with  marked 
affectation  ;  then  she  grew  serious  again. 

Either  at  her  desire,  because  she  was  not  enjoying  her 
ride,  or  at  the  suggestion  of  her  friends,  they  went  home 
early. 

Don  Alfonso,  who  was  on  the  lookout,  noticed  that 
the}-  were  going,  and  after  a  while  he  took  leave  of  his 
friends  and  went  to  the  wharf,  where  he  hired  a  boat  to 
take  him  across  to  the  Astillero. 

He  reached  there  just  at  night-fall ;  after  dismissing 
the  oarsmen,  he  slowly  climbed  the  shady  hill,  not  caring 
to  make  inquiries  of  any  one  as  to  the  situation  of  his 
aunt's  cottage,  and  hoping  that  his  good  fortune  would 
come  to  his  aid. 

It  did  not  take  him  long  to  make  the  entire  circuit  of 
that  charming  resort,  examining  the  recently  built  summer 
cottages,  through  whose  windows  lights  were  already 
beginning  to  shine,  and  stopping  in  front  of  the  garden 
gates  to  see  if  he  might  not  get  sight  of  some  one  of  his 
aunt's  maids,  or  even  herself,  or  his  cousin  in  person. 

At  last,  in  a  small  inclosure,  where  two  magnificent 
magnolias  grew,  casting  their  shade  over  everything,  he 
chanced  to  see,  under  an  arbor  covered  with  a  honey- 
suckle vine,  his  cousin  sitting  on  a  rustic  bench,  with  her 
elbows  on  a  mai'ble  table  and  her  face  resting  in  her 
hands,  in  a  thoughtful  attitude  ;  she  wore  the  same  dress 
that  she  had  worn  while  driving,  and  she  had  not  even 
taken  off  her  hat. 

A  strange  light  gleamed  in  the  man's  eyes.  He  went 
close  to  the  grated  gate,  and  made  a  sound  just  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  the  girl  alone ;  she  swiftly  raised 


166  MAXIMINA. 

her  head,  and  a  sudden  flame  passed  over  her  face  when 
she  saw  who  it  was  that  called  her ;  then  she  went  to  the 
gate  and  opened  it,  greeting  her  cousin  with  a  gracious 
smile  to  repay  him,  doubtless,  for  the  cool  treatment  of 
the  promenade. 

Don  Alfonso  eagerly  took  both  hands  and  pressed  them 
warmly. 

"  Will  you  allow  me?  " 

And  without  awaiting  her  answer,  he  raised  them  to 
his  lips  and  kissed  them  no  less  eagerly.  The  girl  quickly 
withdrew  them,  but  the  smile  that  lighted  her  face  did  not 
fade. 

"  I  cannot  escape  my  fate  ;  I  come  to  the  Astillero,  and 
the  first  person  whom  I  meet  is  the  one  who  most  inter- 
ests me." 

"Yes,  yes  !  the  idea  of  saying  that  to  me  !  "  said  Julia, 
just  as  gayly  as  before.  "I  am  going  to  tell  mamma. 
The  last  thing  that  she  expects  is  to  see  you  here." 

"  Haven't  you  told  her  ? " 

"  She  was  lying  down  when  I  came,  and  I  did  not  want 
to  disturb  her,"  replied  the  girl,  blushing  at  the  lie  that 
she  was  telling. 

"Well  then,  let  us  not  go  indoors  quite  yet;  I  have 
something  to  talk  with  you  about  first." 

And  he  went  and  sat  down  in  the  summer  house  and 
took  off  his  hat.  Julia  hesitated  a  moment ;  but  finally 
sat  down  beside  him. 

"  Don't  you  know  what  I  want  to  tell  you?  "  he  began, 
giving  her  a  keen  and  loving  look. 

"  I  am  not  a  gypsy,  my  dear." 

' '  It  happened  to  be  a  gypsy  who  told  me  while  I  was 
in  Seville  that  a  sly,  witty  little  brunette  was  going  to 
kill  me  with  disdain." 

"  And  you  believed  her,  simpleton?" 


MAXIMINA.  167 

"  Why  not?" 

"  Because  the  only  thing  that  you  would  die  of  would 
be  rascality." 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  cousin." 

"  I  do  not  deserve  them.     Go  on." 

"  Well,  then,  as  to  what  I  was  going  to  tell  you.  .  .  . 
Do  you  know  I  have  so  much  on  my  mind  that  I  don't 
know  where  to  begin  !  I  suffer  from  the  same  thing  that 
troubles  orators." 

"  Then  rest  a  few  minutes.  .  .  .  Would  you  like  a 
glass  of  water?" 

"There  is  no  need;  like  the  ten  commandments,  it 
all  reduces  itself  to  two  truths,  —  loving  you  above  all 
things,  and  blowing  my  brains  out  if  you  don't  love  me." 

"  Are  you  sure  that  they  are  true?" 

"  Perfectly  sure." 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense  !  Then  I  have  made  a  mistake 
in  this  too !  "  said  the  girl,  sighing  with  graceful  irony. 

"  Cousin,  cousin  !  what  a  wretched  opinion  you  have  of 
me.  If  you  realized  what  this  heart  of  mine  suffers,  and 
how  completely  ensnared  it  is  in  your  net !  " 

"  Cousin,  cousin  !  you  are  too  big  a  fish  to  fall  into  my 
net !  " 

"  Then  I  swear  to  you  that  I  am  yours,  that  I  have  no 
other  thought  than  you,  and  were  I  put  to  death  for  it,  I 
have  been  able  this  long  time  to  have  no  other  thought 
than  of  you.  .  .  .  Do  you  know  why  I  did  not  write  to 
you  while  I  was  in  Seville?  ..." 

"  Yes  ;  because  you  did  not  care  to." 

"Nothing  of  the  sort;  it  was  so  as  to  see  if  absence 
would  not  quench  the  flame  that  is  consuming  me.  ..." 

"Flames!  the  idea!     Hush!  hush!  don't  be  absurd  !" 

"  Laugh  as  much  as  you  will ;  but  it  does  not  prevent 
it  from  being  true,  that  I  have  been  passing  through  a 


168  MAXIMINA. 

cruel  struggle,  and  that  I  have  suffered  too  much  to  write 
you.  ...  '  Why?'  I  asked  myself.  '  It  is  vain  to  have 
hopes,  since  they  would  be  surely  disappointed.  Were 
not  the  rebuffs  that  she  gave  me  sufficient?'  .  .  .  For, 
cousin,  you  have  a  special  talent  for  rebuffing  a  man  ; 
you  not  only  give  them  once,  but  you  delight  in  repeating 
the  punishment,  and  then  trying  it  another  day  with  all 
the  refinements  of  cruelty.  I  have  set  down  in  my  note- 
book the  rebuffs,  the  saucy  answers,  and  even  the  insults 
which  you  gave  me  in  one  short  fortnight.  ...  It  is  a 
perfect  marvel.!  .  .  .  Look !  .  .  .  Under  the  head  of  hard 
words,  you  have  called  me  old  seven  times,  audacious 
twenty-seven  times,  fool  twenty-two  times,  proud  six 
times,  my  son  once,  goose  once,  a  genuine  Don  Juan 
once,  impolite  once  :  total,  sixty-six  insults  !  .  .  .  There 
you  have  it.  .  .  ." 

"  What  nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  Julia,  laughing  heartily, 
and  giving  a  slap  at  the  note-book  which  sent  it  to  the 
ground. 

"It  is  the  simple  truth,"  rejoined  Don  Alfonso,  pick- 
ing it  up.  "  And  in  spite  of  all  that,  I  am  stupid  enough 
to  go  on  loving  you,  or,  to  express  myself  better,  to  love 
you  more  and  more  every  day,  as  is  proved  by  my  visit 
to  Santander.  Since  I  left  you,  Julia,  I  have  not  had  a 
moment's  peace  ;  and  though  I  have  tried  every  possible 
way  of  distracting  my  thoughts  so  as  to  forget  you,  still 
ever  your  graceful  form  would  come  before  my  eyes.  In 
Madrid  I  suffered  much,  because  I  was  always  kept  hov- 
ering between  fear,  hope,  and  despair ;  but  in  Seville,  far 
from  you,  I  missed  those  sufferings,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you,  of  hearing  your  voice, 
and  living  under  the  same  jroof  were  a  sufficient  compen- 
sation for  them,  and  even  an  advantage.  ...  I  don't 
know  what  has  come  over  me ;  either  I  am  mad,  or  you 


MAXIMINA.  169 

have  bewitched  me.  I  have  been  all  over  the  world,  and 
have  known  many  women,  but  I  swear  not  one  ever  kept 
me  so  stirred  up,  so  disquieted,  so  beside  myself  as  you 
have.  And  I  am  telling  you  the  truth,  as  you  well  know, 
since  you  have  only  to  look  into  my  face.  ..." 

In  very  truth,  Don  Alfonso,  in  saying  these  words,  ap- 
peared moved  and  trembling.  And  as  his  character, 
though  affable,  was  cold  and  impassive,  with  touches  of 
scorn,  this  emotion  which  he  manifested  caused  double 
effect.  He  had  taken  possession  of  one  of  Julia's  hands, 
and  pressed  it  between  his.  The  girl,  rosy  and  smiling, 
exclaimed  with  a  somewhat  altered  voice  :  — 

"  You  paint  things  in  such  a  lively  fashion  that  I  can- 
not help  believing  3'ou." 

"  Yes,  believe  me,  believe  me,  cousin  !  "  said  Saavedra, 
passionately  kissing  the  hand  which  he  held.  "  For 
although  you  do  not  love  me,  it  fills  me  with  pleasure  to 
know  that  you  know  that  I  adore  you  with  all  my  soul. 
My  lot  is  cast ;  on  your  lips  now  hangs  my  fate.  I  de- 
serve that  you  should  destroy  me  for  the  incredible  stu- 
pidity of  having  supposed,  when  I  went  away,  that  you 
loved  me,  and  telling  you  so.-  How  that  act  weighed 
upon  me  afterwards  !  I  could  not  find  hard  names  enough 
for  myself.  ..." 

"Then,  see  here;  go  on  calling  yourself  hard  names 
.  .  .  for  having  once  called  yourself  such  without  reason," 
said  Julia,  glancing  at  him  half  in  malice,  half  in  earnest. 

"  Can  it  be  possible?"  exclaimed  Saavedra,  anxiously. 

"  Quite  possible." 

«'  So  that  I  ..." 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  feed  you  the  truth  with  a  spoon, 
cousin?"  she  asked,  with  some  show  of  impatience. 

' '  Ay  !  lovely  cousin  !  most  fascinating  cousin  !  divine 
•  cousin !  how  happy  you  make  me  ! " 


1 70  MAXIMINA. 

Don  Alfonso  at  the  same  moment  took  her  into  his 
arms,  and  pressed  his  lips  to  her  cheek  again  and  again, 
in  spite  of  the  girl's  strenuous  resistance. 

"That'll  do!  that'll  do!"  she  said,  trying  hard  to  be 
angry,  and  only  half  succeeding. 

At  that  moment  a  white  form  appeared  at  the  grat- 
ing, and  said,  in  a  shrill  voice  :  — 

"Julia!  Julita!" 

She  tore  herself  out  of  her  cousin's  arms,  and  hastened 
down  to  the  gate :  — 

"Esperanza!  wait;  I  am  coming." 

It  was  one  of  the  neighbors  with  whom  she  had  been 
driving  that  afternoon,  and  who  now  came  to  invite  her 
to  dinner,  and  a  dance  afterwards. 

Don  Alfonso  also  arose,  and  went  to  the  gate,  and  gave 
the  young  lady  a  look  which,  if  she  had  been  made  of 
gun-cotton,  would  have  caused  an  explosion  ;  but  quickly 
controlling  himself,  he  greeted  her  with  all  courtes}-.  .  .  . 

Julia,  somewhat  confused,  declined  the  invitation,  under 
the  pretext  that  her  mamma  had  the  neuralgia. 

The  neighbor,  not  less  confused,  and  looking  from  one 
to  the  other,  did  not  see  fit  to  insist,  and  immediately 
withdrew  to  tell  what  she  had  seen,  and  what  she  had  not 
seen. 

As  it  was  now  dark,  the  cousins  went  into  the  house, 
where,  after  hearty  greetings  had  been  exchanged  between 
aunt  and  nephew,  the  dinner  was  served. 

While  it  lasted,  Julia's  cheeks  were  rosy  as  they  had 
not  been  for  months ;  her  eyes  shone  with  happy  light, 
and  in  all  her  gestures  and  motions  was  betrayed  the 
lively  emotion  that  agitated  her,  and  a  joy  which  was 
not  affected  as  at  other  times. 


MAXIMINA.  171 


XIV. 

MIGL~EL  had  for  some  time  been  planning  to  gather  a 
few  friends  at  his  house  to  celebrate,  not  only  his  mar- 
riage, but  also  the  early  prospect  of  an  heir. 

Although  he  did  not  confess  it,  he  also  flattered  him- 
self with  the  idea  of  showing  them  his  suite,  which,  now 
entirely  furnished,  was  like  a  silver  cup,  all  bright  and 
new  and  glorious  to  see  ;  and  there  was  also  the  boyish, 
though  very  pardonable,  vanity  of  making  his  appearance 
before  society  as  a  hospitable  housekeeper  and  the  head 
of  a  family. 

Maximiua,  on  hearing  the  plan,  was  troubled  and  con- 
fused ;  it  had  never  entered  into  her  calculations  to  "do 
the  honors"  of  a  reception,  especially  as  her  husband  had 
assured  her  that  such  a  thing  on  their  part  would  be  pre- 
sumptuous. 

Whenever  Miguel  took  her  out  for  the  evening  to  the 
house  of  any  of  their  friends,  she  always  felt  constrained 
and  awkward,  without  knowing  what  to  say  or  do,  and 
not  taking  her  eyes  from  him,  so  that  she  might  get 
courage.  What  would  it  be  now  when  she  would  be 
obliged  to  greet  everybody,  to  say  to  each  some  pleas- 
ant wor.l,  and  to  foresee  and  anticipate  their  every 
desire  ? 

"  Oh,  Miguel !  I  should  die  of  mortification." 

He  laughed  at  her  timidity,  and  even  found  an  ad- 
ditional incentive  for  his  plan  at  the  thought  of  seeing  his 
wife,  so  girl-like,  so  innocent,  and  so  timid,  "officiating 
as  sefiora." 

At  first  he  thought  of  having  a  breakfast,  but  soon 
gave  that  up  because  their  dining-room  was  only  large 
enough  to  seat  a  dozen  guests. 


1 72  MAXIMINA. 

Then  it  occurred  to  him  to  give  an  afternoon  tea,  which 
was  a  form  of  entertainment  very  fashionable  at  the  time ; 
bnt  even  this  seemed  too  small  to  Miguel. 

After  many  hesitations  he  made  up  his  mind  that  it 
should  be  a  '  reunion '  or  '  soiree,'  with  a  lunch  of  pre- 
served oranges.  The  excuse  for  it  should  be  to  hear  the 
reading  of  a  drama  which  one  of  the  Independencia  staff. 
G6mez  de  la  Floresta,  had  written,  and  which  had  not 
yet  been  put  upon  the  stage  on  account  of  the  cabals  of 
Ayala,  Garcia  Gutierrez,  and  other  small  fry,  who  ruled 
the  theatres  with  a  high  hand,  and  "  monopolized  them." 

"  But  didn't  you  say  that  this  play  was  very  dull,  and 
that  you  had  been  bored  to  death  when  you  heard  it?" 
asked  Maximina. 

"That  is  the  very  reason.  At  this  kind  of  '  reunion' 
it  is  absolutely  indispensable  that  the  thing  read  should 
be  bad,  so  that  all  that  follows  after  the  reading  may 
seem  excellent  to  the  guests.  With  this  drama  3-ou  can 
bring  on  champagne  that  cost  only  thirty  reals,  and  it 
will  be  drunk  like  nectar." 

Maximina  did  not  understand  very  well  this  logic  of 
her  husband's,  and  she  looked  at  him  with  very  wide  eyes  ; 
but  seeing  that  he  added  nothing  to  make  it  clearer,  she 
went  to  another  subject, — that  of  the  invitations. 

"Whom  would  you  invite?" 

"  Provisionally,  mamma  and  Julia." 

"Good;  and  then?" 

"  Couski  Serafina." 

• '  Who  would  escort  her  ?  " 

"  Let  Enrique  accompany  her." 

"  Shall  we  invite  Eulalia?  " 

"Certainly;  but  I  warn  you  that  she  will  not  come: 
her  husband  cannot  abide  me." 

"And  the  De  Rimirez  family?" 


MAXIMINA.  173 

"There  is  nothing  against  it." 

"  Asunci6n?" 

"Certainly." 

Maximina  hesitated  a  moment,  then  grew  more  serious, 
and  said  hastily  :  — 

"And  those  ladies  up  stairs,  for  example?" 

A  slight  smile  hovered  on  Miguel's  lips,  and  he  re- 
plied :  — 

"As  you  please." 

"Aunt  Anita,1  of  course." 

"Yes  ;  I  should  be  glad  to  see  your  Uncle  Manolo  here." 

"And  what  gentlemen  shall  we  have?" 

"  That  will  be  my  part." 

"Shall  3'ou  invite  the  men  on  the  paper?" 

"We  will  see ;  according  as  the  cloth  holds  out." 

"AndCarlitos?" 

"Yes;  it  will  be  his  duty  to  illuminate  the  'reunion 
on  all  disputed  points." 

"  And  Mendoza?  " 

' '  Could  we  think  of  leaving  out  the  most  precious 
ornament?  .  .  .  But  then,  he  is  very  much  engaged  just 
at  present  with  his  marriage  and  politics." 

This  business  of  the  invitations  having  been  settled, 
and  it  having  been  decided  that  certain  letters  should  be 
'written  and  certain  calls  made,  Maximina  remained  for 
some  time  pensive  and  melancholy. 

At  last,  taking  her  husband's  hand  and  looking  at  him 
lovingly  and  sadly,  she  said:  — 

"I  am  sure  that  I  am  going  to  disgrace  you,  Miguel.  .  .  . 
I  am  not  used  to  these  things.  Virgen  Maria!  how  much 
I  would  give  to  be  like  one  of  those  elegant  and  lovely 
ladies  that  you  bow  to  in  the  theatres.  I  don't  see  how 
you  ever  came  to  marry  me,  when  I  am  neither  beauti- 
1  Diminutive  of  Ana  (Anna). 


1 74  MAXIMINA. 

ful  nor  able  to  be  compared  with  the  ladies  whom  you 
know." 

"Hush!  hush!"  said  he,  laying  his  fingers  on  her 
mouth.  "  I  am  prouder  of  having  married  you  than  if  you 
had  been  a  princess  of  the  blood." 

"  I  know  this,"  she  replied,  her  eyes  overflowing  with 
love  and  happiness;  "I  know  that  I  am  proud  because 
I  am  your  wife,  and  because  you  preferred  me  to  any 
handsome,  elegant,  and  rich  woman  ;  me,  a  poor,  good-for- 
nothing.  ..." 

"  Hush !  hush  !  or  I  will  bite  you,"  he  repeated,  kiss- 
ing her  passionately. 

During  the  days  that  followed,  as  had  been  decided, 
they  began  their  preparations  and  got  out  their  cards. 
Miguel  went  in  person  to  invite  his  Uncle  Manolo. 

He  lived  in  a  magnificent  mansion  in  the  Calle  del  Fez. 
Since  his  marriage  he  had  changed  few  of  his  habits.  It 
would  be  a  great  mistake  to  imagine  that  he  had  in  the 
least  abandoned  the  solicitous  cares  which  he  had  al- 
ways bestowed  upon  his  elegant  person  :  not  at  all !  tinct- 
ures and  cosmetics  followed  in  harmony  with  the  latest 
advances  of  chemistiy ;  all  bands  and  braces  and  the 
latest  improvements  iu  the  science  of  orthopedics ;  the 
best  shoemaker  in  Madrid ;  the  most  skilful  dentist,  the 
most  fashionable  tailor  and  perfumer  in  the  city. 

Uncle  Manolo  was  a  monument  so  admirably  preserved 
that  the  Spanish  government  might  have  taken  him  for 
a  pattern  for  theirs. 

Nevertheless,  merciless  Time  had  been  making  some 
ravages  in  that  proud  edifice,  and  already  some  of  his 
marks  could  be  clearly  seen  on  its  fa9ade ;  crow's-feet 
and  wrinkles  of  every  sort  each  day  grew  deeper  and 
deeper ;  in  spite  of  his  shoulder-braces  he  bent  a  little 
more  forward ;  his  step,  also,  was  not  half  as  light  and 


MAXIMINA.  175 

firm  as  before.  There  was  no  question  that  the  least 
carelessness  or  omission  in  the  process  of  his  self-preser- 
vation would  bring  him  in  ruins  to  the  ground. 

Miguel  found  his  Aunt  Ana,  for  variety's  sake,  by  the 
chimney-corner ;  and  this,  although  it  was  rather  early  in 
the  season  for  fires.  In  her,  as  well  as  in  her  lord  and 
master,  the  ravages  of  time  were  also  manifest,  so  much 
so,  that  it  was  more  easy  to  believe  that  the  good  lady, 
once  married,  had  entirely  forgotten  the  care  and  adorn- 
ment of  her  person,  since,  in  so  short  a  period,  such  ter- 
rible decay  had  occurred. 

For  la  intendenta  had  now  quite  the  appearance  of  a 
septegenarian  ;  her  hair  was  thin  and  white,  her  face  pale 
and  withered,  her  waist  like  a  barrel,  and  her  hands  dark 
and  wrinkled  and  repulsive  to  look  upon. 

"  Good  da}-,  aunt !     How  are  you  ?  " 

"  As  usual,  my  son  ;  and  you?  "  she  replied,  indolently, 
in  a  plaintive  voice. 

"I  am  well ;  and  uncle?  " 

"  How  should  I  know  how  your  uncle  is?  "  she  replied 
bitterly.  "It  makes  very  little  difference  either.  And 
your  wife?  Does  her  condition  trouble  her  any?  " 

"  Not  at  all ;  she  is  perfectly  well." 

Miguel  noticed  that  the  depreciative  tone  in  which  la 
intendenta  always  spoke  of  her  husband  had  increased 
to  an  alarming  degree  ;  in  the  inflection  of  her  voice  could 
be  perceived  not  only  scorn,  but  even  hatred.  He  there- 
fore decided  to  avoid  that  subject,  and  to  direct  the  sub- 
ject to  other  themes. 

But  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  la  intendenta  constantly 
found  occasion  to  bring  him  in,  as  it  were,  "  by  the 
hair,"  and  make  some  remark  derogatory  to  her  husband ; 
and,  naturally  enough,  this  was  not  at  all  pleasing  to 
Miguel.  Consequently,  after  announcing  the  object  of 


176  MAXIMINA. 

his  call,  he  broke  off  the  conversation  and  went  to  his 
uncle's  room. 

He  found  him  wrapped  up  in  a  magnificent  dressing- 
gown,  and  seated  reading  his  newspaper,  while  the  barber 
was  giving  the  last  touches  to  the  curl  of  his  mustache. 

He  was  not  a  little  rejoiced  to  see  his  nephew,  with 
whom  he  always  kept  up  relations  that  were  more  like 
that  of  a  comrade  than  an  uncle  ;  he  forthwith  accepted, 
with  the  greatest  delight,  his  invitation,  and  concerning 
his  proposed  supper  gave  him  some  very  wise  advice  from, 
his  own  long  experience. 

"  See  here !  Tell  Lhardy  to  cook  you  some  truffled 
quails,  such  as  he  sent  a  few  days  ago  to  the  house  of  the 
Swedish  minister,  and  some  stuffed  river  pike,  with  a 
gravy  of  cream  of  soft-shelled  crabs  such  as  I  ate  at  the 
De  Yelez  ball.  Beside  this,  have  anything  that  you  like. 
I  will  advise  you  that  you  ought  to  get  your  wines  at 
Pardo's,  on  the  Calle  del  Carmen.  Ask  for  Margot  ten 
years  old,  and  tell  Pardo  that  you  are  my  nephew,  so  that 
he  won't  take  advantage  of  you.  ...  I  give  you  the  hint 
that  you  ought  to  warm  it  a  little  before  inviting  your 
guests  into  the  dining-room.  Tell  him  that  you  want 
such  champagne  as  I  always  order.  Don't  buy  any 
sherry :  I  will  send  you  a  couple  of  dozen  bottles  from  a 
cask  which  I  had  as  a  present !  it  is  the  best  I  ever 
drank.  .  .  .  But,  however,  I  will  come  round  to  your 
house  on  the  day  of  your  supper,  to  see  that  everything  is 
going  all  right." 

After  the  barber  had  been  dismissed,  Miguel  was 
anxious  to  hear  from  his  uncle  something  about  his 
domestic  life,  since  la  intendenta's  aggressive  words  did 
not  pass  from  his  memorj'.  He  began  by  circumlocutions 
so  as  to  bring  the  conversation  to  the  point  desired ;  but 
when  he  reached  it,  his  Uncle  Manolo  restrained  him  with 
a  gesture  full  of  dignity. 


MAXIMINA.  177 

"  Not  a  word  about  my  wife,  Miguel !  " 

He  majesticalty  extended  his  arm,  scowled  terribly, 
aud  his  perfumed  locks  waved  above  his  immortal  head. 

Miguel  understood  well  by  signs  that  the  relations 
between  his  uncle  and  aunt  could  not  be  very  cordial, 
and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  watch  them  in  silence. 

"  Come  to  breakfast,"  said  Senor  Don  Manolo  de 
Rivera,  looking  at  his  watch.  "You  will  breakfast  with 
us,  will  you  not?" 

"  I  have  just  had  breakfast,  uncle." 

' '  Very  well ;  then  come  and  see  us  eat,  and  we  will  go 
out  together." 

They  went  to  the  dining-room,  where  the  senora  was 
waiting  them,  and  husband  and  wife  sat  down  at  opposite 
sides  of  the  table,  while  the  nephew  ensconsed  himself  in 
a  chair  not  far  from  them. 

But  one  thing  instantly  threw  him  into  a  state  of  stupe- 
faction, and  that  was  to  see  beside  his  uncle's  plate,  on  the 
cloth,  a  large  and  magnificent  six-shooter. 

And  his  amazement  increased  when  he  saw  his  uncle 
push  it  away  a  little  as  though  it  were  the  tumbler,  the 
napkin-ring,  or  any  other  of  the  indispensable  parapher- 
nalia of  the  service ;  and  still  more,  to  see  his  aunt 
pajT  no  attention  to  it,  but  begin  calmly  to  eat  her  boiled 
eggs  as  though  this  were  the  most  natural  thing  in  the 
world. 

Our  hero's  imagination  began  to  whirl  faster  than  a 
wheel,  and  he  was  lost  in  a  sea  of  conjectures  ;  but  he  did 
not  have  the  courage  to  ask  what  it  all  meant,  although 
his  curiosity  was  terribly  piqued  :  he  understood  that  such 
a  question  would  be  indiscreet.  Not  that  he  gave  up  the 
idea  of  finding  out,  but  merely  postponed  it  till  a  more 
fitting  occasion. 

Breakfast  was  finished  without  anything  happening  to 


178  MAXIMINA. 

require  the  use  of  the  deadly  weapon  which  Senor  de 
Rivera  kept  at  his  right  hand  ;  and  this  might  have  been 
expected,  since  at  one  o'clock  in  the  day  it  is  not  common 
for  robbers  to  break  into  houses. 

The  conversation  was  general,  although  the  two  elders 
seldom  addressed  each  other,  Uncle  Manolo  especially, 
taking  evident  pains  completely  to  ignore  his  wife. 

She,  on  the  other  hand,  kept  caroming  phrases  at  him 
indirectly  wounding  and  pinching  him,  while  talking  with 
Miguel. 

The  chivalrous  caballero,  when  the  charge  hurt  him, 
would  give  a  wrathful  look  at  his  sweet  enemy  ;  and  as 
she  managed  very  cleverly  to  avoid  it,  he  would  shake  his 
head  in  sign  of  wrath,  and  make  an  expressive  face  at 
his  nephew,  and  then  give  his  attention  to  what  was  in 
front  of  him. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  Miguel  took  leave  of  his 
aunt  very  courteously,  and  after  going  back  to  his  Uncle 
Manolo's  room  to  help  the  old  man  put  on  his  coat,  they 
went  into  the  street  together. 

As  soon  as  they  were  fairly  out  of  doors,  Senor  Ri- 
vera's ill-humor  and  the  melancholy  that  had  grown  upon 
him  during  the  last  third  of  the  meal  vanished  as  by 
magic  ;  he  pulled  out  his  case,  gave  Miguel  a  cigar,  and 
lighted  another,  beginning  to  puff  with  satisfaction,  while 
they  were  passing  along  San  Jeronimo  Avenue. 

Miguel,  however,  could  not  keep  the  revolver  out  of  his 
thoughts,  and  he  was  possessed  to  unravel  the  mystery 
concealed  in  it.  When  they  had  turned  the  corner  of  the 
Calle  de  la  Puebla,  he  stopped  a  moment,  and  asked  him 
boldly  :  - 

"  See  here,  uncle,  though  you  may  call  me  indiscreet, 
I  am  going  to  ask  you  a  question,  because  I  can  no  longer 
stand  the  torment  of  curiosity.  .  .  .  What  the  deuce  is 


MAXIMINA.  179 

the  meaning  of  that  revolver  that  you  had  beside  your 
plate  while  you  were  at  breakfast?' 

On  hearing  this,  the  ex-gentil  caballero's  face  once  more 
darkened ;  he  bent  his  head  until  his  beard  touched  his 
breast,  and  began  to  walk  on  again  without  saying  a 
word.  After  a  considerable  time  he  heaved  a  deep 
and  most  pitiable  sigh,  and  began  to  speak  in  a  low 
voice  :  — 

"You  must  know,  Miguel,  that  for  some  months  past 
my  life  has  been  a  hell !  My  wife  (who,  parenthetically, 
is  the  most  loathsome  woman  that  God  ever  put  into  the 
world)  has  taken  it  into  her  head  to  be  jealous  of  me  ! 
Would  you  believe  that  such  a  piece  of  trumpery,  an  old 
shoe,  has  the  slightest  right  to  be  jealous  of  a  man  like 
me  ?  Does  it  not  seem  to  you  that  I  have  done  enough 
in  burdening  myself  with  her  ? 

"  Now,  instead  of  thanking  me  for  the  sacrifice  that  I 
made  in  marrying  her,  she  is  foolish  enough  to  believe  that 
I  ought  to  adore  her,  to  be  dying  with  love  for  her.  And 
as  this  is  the  height  of  absurdity,  and  cannot  be,  she  is 
eating  out  my  very  soul.  When  I  get  up,  when  I  lie 
down,  when  I  go  out  of  the  house,  when  I  come  in,  when 
I  eat,  and  when  I  sleep,  never  can  I  enjoy  an  instant's 
peace ;  above  all,  at  meal-time  she  has  been  making  such 
a  mart}*!'  of  me  that  I  cannot  eat  half  as  much  as  I  ought, 
and  even  then  it  troubles  me  to  digest  it.  I  cannot  go  on 
in  this  way  without  danger  of  losing  my  health.  Great 
evils  require  heroic  remedies  ;  one  day  I  took  the  revolver, 
and  said  to  her :  '  If  at  table  you  say  another  word  to 
disturb  me,  I  will  put  an  ounce  of  lead  into  your  head.' 

"That  was  a  happy  idea,  for  since  that  time  she  has 
not  said  a  single  word  more,  and  to-day  only  by  taking 
advantage  of  your  presence  did  she  make  a  few  indirect 
insinuations.  My  servant  has  been  charged,  when  setting 


180  MAXIMINA. 

the  table,  to  place  the  revolver  by  my  plate.  .  .  .  Per- 
haps you  will  imagine  that  she  is  jealous  of  some  definite 
person,  and  that  I  am  doing  wrong  not  to  break  loose 
from  this  person,  and  thus  avoid  all  occasion  for  torment ; 
but  there  is  nothing  of  the  sort.  Each  day  she  is  jealous 
of  some  different  woman,  and  never  once  hits  the  truth. 
Man  alive !  to  show  you  how  stupid  she  is,  I  will  tell  you 
that  day  before  yesterday  a  good  lady,  whom  I  happened 
never  to  mention  to  her,  sent  me  a  couple  of  dozen  tarts ; 
and  she,  without  any  more  ado,  flung  the  platter  on  the 
floor,  and  began  to  berate  the  servant  like  a  sardine- 
woman.  Tell  me  now  if  I  don't  need  patience,  and  if  it 
would  not  have  been  better  for  me  to  have  had  all  the 
bones  in  my  bod}7  broken  than  marry  this  calamity  !  " 

Uncle  Manolo  ceased  speaking,  and  continued  silent  for 
a  long  time,  brooding  over  his  sad  thoughts.  Miguel 
dared  not  disturb  them,  since  he  knew  too  well  that  it  was 
hopeless  for  him  to  offer  him  any  advice.  Finally,  that 
magnanimous  man,  richer  every  day  in  tribulations,  stopped 
again,  and  asked  his  nephew,  with  severe  intonation  :  — 

"Tell  me,  Miguel,  don't  you  know  any  place  now  in- 
fested by  the  cholera  or  an}*  other  contagious  disease?  " 

"  No,  uncle  ;  I  do  not,"  replied  Miguel,  struggling  hard 
not  to  laugh.  "  What  a  strange  idea  !  Do  you  wish  to 
murder  your  wife  ?  " 

"  Man  !  no,  of  course  not  to  murder  her.  I  only  thought 
in  any  case  of  letting  nature  have  its  perfect  work.  .  .  . 
But  could  I  have  a  blacker  fate  ?  Just  imagine  !  I  learn 
from  a  medical  friend  that  Madrid  is  full  of  fevers  and 
pneumonia,  caused  by  the  bad  custom  of  riding  on  the 
Prado  in  September.  "Well  now,  after  many  entreaties, 
and  '  making  myself  into  syrup '  to  accomplish  it,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  my  wife  out  to  drive  with  me  several 
evenings.  '  Come  now,'  I  said  to  myself,  '  if  she  does 


MAXIM  IN  A.  181 

not  get  pneumonia,  she  may  at  least  catch  a  bit  of  a 
fever,  and  as  she  is  feeble.  .  .  .'  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Perfectly !  and  did  she  ?  " 

"Hush,  man,  hush!  The  one  who  caught  a  catarrh, 
and  had  to  stay  in  the  house  four  days  was  .  .  .  myself. 
I  haven't  got  over  my  cough  yet !  " 

All  this  time  they  were  walking  along  the  Calle  de 
Peligros,  and  they  saw  coming  toward  them  a  young 
woman  not  at  all  bad-looking,  since  she  had  bright, 
rosy  complexion  and  red  lips ;  her  dress  was  attractive 
and  rather  scant}'.  As  she  passed  she  smiled  upon  Uncle 
Manolo,  giving  him  a  very  expressive  salute. 

"Who  is  that  girl?"  asked  Miguel. 

"  Don't  you  know  her?  She  is  Josefina  Garcia,  one  of 
the  ballet  at  Los  Bufos." 

And  after  they  had  walked  a  few  steps  farther,  he 
added,  with  some  perturbation:  — 

"See  here,  Miguel,  if  you  will  excuse  me,  I  will  leave 
you.  ...  At  five  we  will  meet  at  La  Cerveceria,1  if  you 
say  so." 

"All  right,  uncle,  all  right,"  he  added,  without  being 
able  to  hide  a  smile  ;  "go  where  you  please.  "We'll  meet 
again." 

And  they  took  leave  of  each  other,  shaking  hands. 

XV. 

How  much  anxiety,  how  much  misery  it  caused  Maxi- 
mina  to  make  ready  for  their  '  fiesta ' !  Her  slow  and 
painstaking  character  ill  accorded  with  Miguel's  marvel- 
lously quick  and  lively  bent.  Hence  it  came  about  that 
in  arranging  the  details  of  the  affair  little  differences  of 
opinion  sprang  up  between  the  two. 

1  From  cervecerta,  a  tavern  or  alehouse.  •* 


182  MAXIMINA. 

Miguel,  not  taking  into  account  that  it  was  the  first 
time  that  she  had  ever  found  herself  engaged  in  such  a 
rout,  demanded  impossibilities  of  her. 

The  poor  child,  seeing  his  annoyance,  made  incredible 
efforts  to  have  everything  right,  not  because  the  result 
made  much  difference  to  her,  but  because  she  feared 
worse  than  death  any  blame  from  her  husband. 

Miguel,  not  noticing  it,  and  being  carried  away  by  his 
impatience,  did  not  spare  his  criticisms  on  every  occasion, 
harassing  and  mortifying  her  beyond  measure  ;  only  when, 
after  some  remark  made  in  a  harsh  tone,  he  saw  the  tears 
gathering  in  her  eyes,  would  he  perceive  how  unjust  and 
cruel  he  had  been,  and  going  to  her  he  would  cover  her 
with  kisses,  and  beg  her  pardon. 

Maximina  would  instantly  become  happy,  and  drying 
her  eyes,  would  say  with  touching  innocence  :  — 

"I  will  do  what  I  can  to  satisfy  you.  You  will  not 
scold  me  any  more,  will  you?" 

At  last  the  preparations  were  all  completed.  A  few 
new  articles  of  furniture  were  bought  for  the  parlor,  and 
it  was  put  into  elegant  condition.  The  table  was  laid  in 
the  next  room,  which  was  the  library,  and  in  this  task 
they  were  greatly  assisted  by  Uncle  Manolo.  A  few 
extra  servants  were  engaged  for  the  occasion ;  one  of 
the  bedrooms  was  put  into  order  for  a  ladies'  dressing- 
room  ;  the  stairway  was  adorned  with  vases  of  flowers 
and  brilliantly  lighted,  and  the  same  was  true  of  all  the 
rooms  in  the  house.  The  porter  was  tempted  by  a  good 
large  fee  to  allow  the  door  to  be  kept  open  and  the 
entrance  lighted  all  night. 

Likewise  nothing  that  concerned  the  dress  to  be  worn 
by  Maximina  at  the  party  was  neglected.  Miguel  insisted 
that  it  should  be  rich  and  magnificent,  but  she  was  in- 
tensely opposed  to  this ;  finally  it  was  decided  to  leave 


MAXIMINA.  183 

the  matter  to  the  dressmaker.  And  on  the  very  day  of 
the  '  fiesta,'  early  in  the  morning,  that  personage  herself 
came  with  a  dress,  of  great  simplicity,  to  be  sure,  but  of 
the  utmost  elegance.  But,  oh,  how  unfortunate  !  the  dress 
was  open  in  front  in  the  form  of  a  heart. 

Miguel  found  his  wife  in  despair  on  a  sofa  with  the 
dress  in  her  hands,  and  almost  ready  to  cry,  while  the 
modiste,  with  difficulty  repressing  her  anger,  was  arguing 
that  the  suggestion  to  have  it  filled  in  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  that  no  lady  when  she  had  such  a  party  at 
her  house  ever  failed  to  wear  a  dress  more  or  less  d6col- 
Iet6,  and  that  in  this  case  the  front  was  neither  too  high 
nor  too  low. 

To  all  this  Maximina  replied  sweetly,  but  firmly,  that 
she  had  never  worn  a  low-necked  dress,  and  that  she 
should  die  of  mortification  if  she  did  so  now. 

Miguel  at  first  sided  with  the  modiste ;  but  when  he 
saw  the  sadness  painted  on  his  wife's  face,  he  was  secretly 
flattered  by  her  delicate  modesty,  and  suddenly  changed 
his  mind,  saying:  — 

"  Very  well ;  don't  say  anything  more  about  the  matter. 
If  the  dress  can  be  altered  for  this  evening,  let  it  be  done  ; 
if  not,  wear  one  of  the  best  ones  that  you  have  already." 

It  was  difficult  to  persuade  the  modiste  to  alter  it ;  but 
finding  that  both  of  them  were  firmfy  resolved,  she  saw 
nothing  else  to  do,  and  she  and  Maximina  put  their  heads 
together  to  remedy  it  as  well  as  they  could. 

In  the  evening,  after  the  table  was  set  and  Uncle 
Manolo  was  gone,  the  young  couple  were  left  alone  with 
the  servants. 

Maximina  shut  herself  in  her  room  to  dress,  and  Miguel 
did  the  same. 

When  he  had  finished  his  toilet  he  ordered  all  the  lamps 
to  be  lighted. 


184  MAXIMINA. 

Shortly  after  the  house  was  illuminated,  Maximina 
came  from  her  room,  looking  like  a  rosebud. 

"Oh,  how  sweet!"  exclaimed  Miguel,  when  he  saw 
her  coming  into  the  study,  where  he  was  selecting  the 
books  to  be  scattered  over  the  tables. 

The  young  wife  smiled  and  blushed. 

"Come,  don't  make  sport  of  me  !  " 

"Why  should  I  make  sport  of  you,  darling,  since  you 
are  lovelier  than  ever  ! " 

In  point  of  fact,  Maximina,  who  had  grown  much  pret- 
tier since  her  marriage,  now  beamed  in  all  the  fresh  and 
artless  beauty  with  which  Heaven  had  endowed  her. 

Her  dress  was  of  a  delicate  brown,  and  to  cover  the 
opening  they  devised  an  under-handkerchief  of  a  very  fine 
grenadine. 

Miguel  took  her  by  the  hands  and  looked  at  her  for 
several  moments,  his  eyes  beaming  with  love.  The  maids 
crowded  around  the  door  and  looked  in  to  see  their  mis- 
tress. 

*'  Isn't  it  true  that  my  wife  is  very  pretty?"  he  asked 
of  them. . 

"  Most  beautiful,  senorito  !  " 

"  She  is  just  a  very  virgin  !  "  exclaimed  Juana. 

"  Not  quite  !  "  replied  Miguel,  mischievously. 

"  Stop  it,  tonto,  stop  it ! "  she  exclaimed,  in  embarrass- 
ment, tearing  herself  from  his  hands  and  starting  to  run. 

They  sat  down  to  table  as  usual,  but  ate  very  little  : 
Maximina  especially  had  no  appetite  for  anything ;  they 
kept  constantly  interrupting  each  other  to  suggest  some 
detail  that  was  lacking,  and  more  than  once  Maximina 
jumped  up  to  attend  to  it  herself. 

Then  they  went  to  the  parlor  and  waited  patiently  for 
their  guests.  Maximina  was  trembling  with  excitement. 
Miguel  showed  a  nervous  joy,  for  he  was  not  certain  that 


MAXIMINA.  185 

the  '  fiesta '  would  prove  to  be  a  success,  and  he  was 
afraid  of  anything  ridiculous.  He  gave  his  wife  his  arm, 
and  they  began  to  promenade  up  and  down  the  parlor, 
glancing  at  the  mirrors  as  they  passed  them.  Maximina 
hardly  recognized  herself :  she  was  surprised  to  appear 
such  a  respectable  and  elegant  sefiora. 

"  Do  you  see  !  "  said  Miguel ;  "  everything  depends  on 
appearances  in  this  world  :  these  people  who  are  coming 
are  neither  more  nor  less  respectable  than  we  are  ;  conse- 
quently you  have  no  reason  to  be  afraid." 

In  spite  of  these  encouragements,  Maximina  kept  grow- 
ing more  timid  ;  each  instant  she  imagined  that  she  heard 
steps  on  the  stairs. 

"Come  now;  imagine  that  lam  a  guest  coming  this 
Arery  moment.  .  .  ."  (Miguel  went  to  the  anteroom  and  came 
back  again,  making  low  bows) .  "  Senora,  at  your  feet !  .  .  . 
How  do  you  do  this  evening?  It  is  a  genuine*  honor  and 
a  great  satisfaction  to  be  present  at  this  soiree,  where  my 
friend  Miguel  wants  to  show  everybody  how  happy  he  is 
in  his  choice.  .  .  .  But  he  deserves  this  happiness  .  .  . 
he  is  an  excellent  }Tonng  man ;  you  also,  senora,  will  have 
little  reason  to  repent.  The  truth  is,  I  have  been  anxious 
to  see  him  married  ;  and  though  he  is  to  be  envied,  all 
of  his  friends,  including  n^'self,  wish  him  greater  happi- 
ness every  day  of  his  life.  .  .  .  (Come,  wife,  say  some- 
thing.)" 

M.iximina,  standing  motionless  in  the  middle  of  the  par- 
lor, listened,  with  her  mouth  open  and  a  smile  on  her  lips. 

"  Answer,  wife.  .  .  .  Come  now ;  I  see  that  you  will 
never  be  a  star  of  society.  .  .  .  Nor  is  there  any  reason 
why  you  should  be,"  he  added  gently. 

And  suddenly,  taking  her  by  the  waist,  he  darted  with 
her  through  the  parlor,  making  a  few  turns  of  a  waltz. 

At  that  instant  the  bell  rang.     Both  stopped  as  though 


186  MAXIMINA. 

petrified  and  instantly  let  go  of  each  other :  Miguel  went 
into  his  study.  The  servant  opened  the  door,  and  a 
young  man  made  his  appearance,  who  proved  to  be  none 
other  than  G6mez  de  la  Floresta. 

Miguel  had  forgotten  that  the  reading  of  his  drama  was 
the  pretext  for  the  party,  and  he  felt  some  slight  vexa- 
tion to  see  him,  manuscript  in  hand  ;  but  he  received  him 
no  less  cordially. 

The  three  sat  down  in  the  study  and  talked  for  a  long 
while,  as  the  poet  was  far  ahead  of  time. 

The  next  to  arrive  was  Utrilla,  the  ex-cadet  of  the 
military  school,  whom  Miguel  had  taken  pains  to  invite, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  friendship  that  existed  between 
them,  but  also  because  of  his  pity  for  his  blind  love  for 
Julita,  and  the  hope  that  she  might  at  last  come  to  return 
it.  He  was  in  evening  dress,  the  same  as  G6mez  de  la 
Floresta.  • 

Then  came  in  quick  succession  his  cousins  Enrique  and 
Serafina,  Mendoza,  Julita  and  her  mother,  with  Saavedra, 
Rosa  de  t&  and  Merelo  y  Garcia,  the  De  Ramirez  ladies, 
and  Miguel's  cousins,  Vicente  and  Carlitos ;  Asunci6n 
and  two  other  young  ladies  whose  names  we  do  not  re- 
member, and  a  few  other  guests. 

What  Miguel  had  foreseen  came  to  pass :  Maximina. 
smiling  and  blushing,  received  the  people  without  any  of 
those  meaningless  and  polite  phrases  which  are  customary 
on  such  occasions  ;  but  her  naturalness  and  modesty  made 
a  great  and  very  favorable  impression  on  every  one.  La 
Senora  de  Ramirez  said  to  Miguel  in  an  aside  :  — 

"  How  good  your  wife  must  be,  Rivera  !  " 

' '  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  It  is  enough  to  see  her  face." 

"  Yes ;  she  is  very  simpdtica,"  said  one  of  the  girls, 
with  a  condescending  tone. 


MAXIMINA.  187 

The  guests  formed  groups,  and  were  conversing  gayly. 
G6mez  de  la  Floresta  was  burning  with  impatience. 

At  last  Miguel,  not  so  much  to  gratify  him,  as  to  have 
everything  pass  off  in  good  form,  invited  him  to  begin  the 
reading  of  the  play  :  he  took  his  stand  by  the  side  of  the 
fireplace,  under  a  gas-fixture  ;  the  people  scattered  them- 
selves at  their  convenience  on  the  chairs  and  sofas  ;  a 
servant  brought  on  a  waiter  various  refreshments,  and 
placed  them  as  well  as  he  could  on  the  mantel-piece  near 
the  poet. 

G6mez  de  la  Floresta  coughed  two  or  three  times,  cast 
a  troubled  glance  over  his  audience,  and  then  began  the 
reading  of  his  drama,  which  was  entitled  The  Serpent's 
Hole,  and  was  cast  in  the  time  of  Carlos  II.,1  the  Be- 
ivitched. 

As  we  know  the  author,  there  is  no  need  of  saying  that 
the  lyric  note  prevailed  in  it ;  that  it  was  couched  in  sono- 
rous verse,  that  it  abounded  in  elegant  and  exotic  adjec- 
tives ;  in  writing  it  he  had  put  under  contribution  the 
beautiful  and  picturesque  phrases  of  our  Esmaltes  y 
Camdfeos,2  of  Th6ophile  Gautier,  and  the  no  less  beauti- 
ful but  more  spontaneous  ones  of  our  own  Zorilla. 

The  result  was  a  composition  of  beautiful  words  in 
diapason,  producing  a  notable  musical  effect,  alternating 
with  some  phrase  or  sentence  d,  la  Victor  Hugo.  Not  a 
single  character  said  anything  in  a  straightforward  man- 
ner :  instead  of  telling  who  they  were  and  whence  they 
came,  they  drowned  themselves  by  anticipation  in  a  river 
or  cascade  of  Oriental  pearls,  moonbeams,  dewdrops, 
perfumes  of  Arabia,  sunsets  and  sapphires  and  emeralds, 
so  that  the  thread  of  the  discourse  was  lost,  and  no  one 
could  gather  the  least  idea  of  its  character  and  tendency. 

1  Carlos  II.,  el  Hechizado,  reigned  over  Spain  1G65-1700. 

2  Literally,  Enamels  and  Cameos. 


188  MAXIMINA. 

When  he  was  half  through  the  act,  the  Countess  de 
Losilla  and  her  two  daughters  came  in,  later  than  all  the 
rest,  since  they  lived  the  nearest  of  all.  Their  entrance 
for  a  few  moments  interrupted  the  reading  ;  all  arose,  and 
Maximina  hastened  to  greet  them. 

All  the  ladies  looked  sharply  and  eagerly  at  the  young 
ladies'  dresses  and  jewelry,  which  were  in  the  highest 
degree  elegant  and  original,  especially  that  of  Filomena, 
who  had  a  remarkable  genius  for  inventing  and  combining 
adornments,  departing  from  the  fashion  when  she  pleased, 
or  changing  it  according  to  her  own  caprice :  she  knew 
how  to  make  the  most  of  her  extreme  slenderness  by  wear- 
ing dresses  such  as  would  have  been  unbecoming  to  any 
other  girl,  and  she  took  pains  by  her  extraordinary  man- 
ner of  brushing  her  hair  to  make  the  strange  originality 
of  her  face  more  brilliant. 

During  the  interruption  the  poet  fortified  himself  with  a 
glass  of  currant  juice. 

Then  the  reading  began  anew.  At  the  end  of  the  act, 
there  were  signs  of  approbation,  especially  among  the 
young  ladies,  to  whom,  though  they  had  not  understood 
a  word,  it  had  sounded  very  fine.  A  few  gentlemen  re- 
mained in  the  parlor  while  the  dramatist  was  resting :  he 
and  one  or  two  others  had  gone  into  the  corridor  to  smoke. 

"  What  does  Rosa  de  t&  think  about  it?  "  asked  one  of 
the  gentlemen,  addressing  the  young  critic. 

Rosa  de  te  reddened,  and  spoke  a  few  incoherent  words. 

"Leave  him,  leave  him  alone  with  his  grief!"  said 
Miguel,  who  happened  to  be  in  this  group.  "When 
the  heroes  of  comedies  and  novels  do  not  adopt  resolu- 
tions, it  makes  him  desperate." 

The  drama  was  finished  at  eleven  o'clock,  to  the  great 
and  ill-concealed  satisfaction  of  each  and  all  of  the  com- 
pany. 


MAXIMINA.  189 

During  the  last  act  the  girls  yawned  in  an  angelic 
manner ;  the  gentlemen  exchanged  expressive  winks 
tinder  the  poet's  very  nose.  Then  came  encouraging 
and  prolonged  applause !  All  broke  out  into  eulogies, 
and  predicted  great  things  for  the  piece. 

G6mez,  overwhelmed,  flushed,  and  trembling  from  head 
to  foot,  acknowledged  the  compliments  by  laying  his  hand 
on  his  heart,  really  believing  that  his  work  was  already 
saved  from  the  "  claws  of  the  public." 

The  poor  fellow  had  no  idea  that  many  of  those  who 
were  applauding  him  had  all  ready  a  howl  for  the  ' '  first 
night "  of  his  play,  in  vengeance  for  the  forced  applause 
that  they  had  given  him. 

After  this  the  ladies  went  to  the  library,  where  supper 
was  served.  The  gentlemen  took  their  places  in  the  rear, 
and  there  began  that  buzzing  of  flat  and  conventional 
phrases  between  both  sexes,  which  constitutes  what  has 
been  called  the  "  witchery  of  the  salon." 

At  that  moment,  after  G6mez  de  la  Floresta's  drama, 
nothing  that  was  said  could  fail  to  seem  clever  or  to 
excite  the  mirth  of  the  guests ;  something,  and  it  is 
not  extravagant  to  say  much,  was  contributed  to  this 
desirable  state  of  things  by  the  sight  of  the  well-laden 
and  decorated  table,  which  in  its  final  state  was  the  work 
of  Uncle  Manolo. 

Saavedra  had  been  sitting  the  whole  evening  behind 
Julia,  whispering  clever  things  in  her  ear,  while  Utrilla, 
seated  not  far  from  them,  and  suffering  as  though  they 
were  roasting  him  on  a  gridiron,  gazed  at  them  fiercely, 
and  planned  how  he  might  call  his  rival  to  one  side,  and 
demand  an  explanation  as  soon  as  the  chance  presented 
itself.  We  already  know  that  in  the  matter  of  explana- 
tions he  was  no  amateur. 

It  is  befitting  that  we  sa}'  a  few  words  in  regard  to  the 


190  MAXIMINA. 

state  in  which  Julia's  relations  with  her  cousin  and  the 
ex-cadet  were  placed. 

Don  Alfonso  had  spent  a  few  days  at  the  Astiliero  with 
his  aunt  and  cousin,  and  during  this  time  he  had  settled 
his  love-affair  with  Julia  on  a  firm  basis. 

Then  he  went  to  Paris,  intending  to  arrange  his  busi- 
ness, and  return  to  Spain  for  good.  In  the  first  days  of 
September  he  really  returned  to  Madrid,  but  he  did  not 
lodge  at  his  aunt's  ;  reasons  of  delicacy,  which  he  ex- 
plained to  Julia,  compelled  him  to  this. 

"While  he  was  in  Paris  he  wrote  few  letters,  and  these 
in  the  fluent  terms  of  cousinly  rather  than  lover-like 
affection.  Julia's  pride  forbade  her  asking  any  explana- 
tions ;  but  when  he  returned  he  hastened  to  give  them, 
telling  her  in  rather  obscure  terms  that  he  wanted  to  keep 
his  relations  with  her  secret  for  a  time,  so  as  conven- 
iently to  settle  his  affairs,  and  announce  their  engagement 
to  his  family  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  and  thus 
realize  the  union  which  he  so  eagerly  desired. 

This  secret  and  somewhat  underhanded  conduct,  instead 
of  dampening  Julia's  ardor,  each  day  made  her  more  and 
more  her  cousin's  slave. 

Don  Alfonso,  when  he  was  not  sleeping,  spent  almost 
all  the  hours  of  the  day  at  his  aunt's  house  ;  he  was  often 
there  to  dinner,  and  likewise  often  went  to  drive  or  to 
the  theatre  with  them. 

As  for  our  bizarre  cadet,  his  fate  could  not  have  been 
more  desolate.  Julita  had  broken  off  entirely  with  him ; 
and  on  this  account  he  had  fallen  into  such  a  decline  that 
it  was  pitiful  to  see  him :  his  sallow  complexion  had 
turned  green  :  his  bones  could  be  counted  even  at  a  long 
distance  ;  only  one  thing  had  grown  in  his  body,  and  that 
was  his  Adam's  apple ;  this  had  reached  really  fantastic 
proportions. 


MAXIMINA.  191 

As  Miguel  was  going  aloug  the  vestibule,  he  felt  that 
some  one  touched  his  shoulder. 

It  was  Utrilla. 

"  Don  Miguel,  I  want  to  ask  a  favor  of  you." 

"  You  shall,  my  dear  boy." 

"It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  you  and  some  other 
friend  this  very  moment  carry  my  challenge  to  this  Seiior 
Saavedra.  I  thought  of  doing  it  myself,  but  I  am  rather 
excited,  and  I  do  not  care  to  let  myself  cause  a  scandal 
in  your  house." 

Miguel  remained  a  moment  undecided,  and  then 
said  :  — 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you  must  understand  that  as  Senor 
Saavedra  is  my  sister's  cousin,  and  as  the  motive  of  the 
trouble  is  for  her  sake,  I  could  not  possibly  mix  myself 
up  in  such  an  affair.  .  .  .  But  as  you  are  my  very  dear 
friend,  and  as  I  would  desire  to  save  you  annoj^ance,  I 
will  do  what  I  can  for  you.  It  is  necessary,  however, 
that  you  promise  not  to  take  any  step  in  this  business, 
and  to  leave  the  entire  direction  of  it  to  me." 

"  I  promise  you." 

Miguel  wanted  to  gain  time  and  save  the  poor  lad,  and 
his  own  family  as  well,  a  serious  unpleasantness. 

"I  ought  to  warn  you,"  he  said  afterwards,  with  a 
smile,  "that  Saavedra  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
marksmen." 

"That  makes  no  difference  to  me,"  rejoined  Utrilla, 
making  a  gesture  worthy  of  Roland  or  Don  Quixote. 

The  brigadier's  son  looked  at  him  surprised  at  such 
valor,  at  once  ridiculous  and  heroic. 

On  returning  to  the  parlor,  after  giving  a  few  direc- 
tions, he  casually  fell  in  with  Filomena,  who  was  coming 
from  the  dressing-room  with  a  box  of  rice-powder  in  her 
hand. 


192  MAXIMINA. 

"  I  was  anxious  to  meet  you  so  as  to  whisper  in  the  ten- 
derest,  tenderest  voice  that  you  are  angelic,  maddening ! " 
said  the  heathen,  approaching  her  with  an  insinuating 
smile,  and  bringing  his  mouth  close  to  her  ear. 

"Come  now,  none  of  your  nonsense,  you  bad  boy! 
With  such  a  young  and  lovely  wife,  aren't  you  ashamed  to 
be  making  love  to  the  girls?" 

He  suddenly  grew  serious  ;  but  quickly  coming  to  him- 
self, he  retorted  with  a  laugh  :  — • 

"The  priest's  benediction  was  not  able  to  rob  me  of 
my  innate  qualities,  and  one  of  them  was  the  love  of  the 
beautiful." 

"  You  men  are  all  alike  ;  art !  beauty  !  Little  words  by 
which  you  try  to  conceal  your  lack  of  shame  !  " 

"  Thanks,  Filo,  for  at  least  having  used  the  plural.  It 
is  to  be  understood  under  all  circumstances  that  I  reserve 
the  right  of.  admiring  you." 

The  girl  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  made  a  disdainful 
face,  and  suddenly  taking  the  powder-puff,  she  dabbed  it 
upon  his  cheek. 

"Hold  on,  hold  on  !  "  said  Miguel,  catching  her  by  one 
arm  ;  "you  don't  escape  me  without  wiping  it  off !  " 

"  What !  do  you  imagine  that  I  am  afraid  to  do  it?"  she 
asked,  giving  him  a  provoking  smile. 

And  without  further  delay  she  began  to  rub  it  off  with 
her  handkerchief. 

Miguel's  eyes  gleamed  with  an  unnatural  light,  and  as 
his  lips  were  not  far  from  the  girl's  head,  he  bent  over 
quickly  and  touched  them  to  her  forehead. 

Filomena  straightened  herself  up  with  equal  rapidity, 
and  giving  him  a  look  that  was  half  severe  and  half  mis- 
chievous, said :  — 

"  You  had  better  be  a  little  careful !" 

When  she  had  finished,  Miguel  said  :  — 


MAXIMINA.  193 

"To  reward  yon  for  this  good  deed  I  am  going  to  offer 
you  my  arm  to  take  you  back  to  the  parlor." 

The  girl  took  it  without  saying  a  word.  After  the  kiss 
she  had  grown  serious. 

When  the}7  went  in,  everybody  was  there  before  them. 
Maximina,  who  was  sitting  ou  a  sofa  talking  with  Saave- 
dra,  looked  at  them  with  a  mixture  of  surprise  and  deso- 
lation which  would  have  touched  Miguel  if  he  had  taken 
time  to  think  about  it. 

A  girl  was  seated  at  the  piano  and  playing  the  first 
strains  of  a  waltz.  Uncle  Manolo  came  very  politely  to 
invite  Maximina,  and  she  allowed  herself  to  be  taken  out 
for  the  dance.  Then  Miguel,  after  a  moment  of  hesita- 
tion (caused  either  by  remorse  or  because  he  knew  how 
jealous  his  wife  was  of  Filomena),  finally  asked  the  girl 
to  waltz. 

"You  dance  very  well,  niece,"  said  Uncle  Manolo, 
stopping  a  moment  to  rest.  ' '  Who  taught  you  ?  " 

"Miguel." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  then  ;  Miguelito  has  always  been  a 
famous  dancer." 

Maximina  had  present  proof  of  it,  and  to  her  sorrow, 
for  her  husband  at  that  moment  floated  by  them,  scarcely 
touching  the  floor,  and  holding  in  his  arms  his  light  bur- 
den. The  young  wife  did  not  for  a  moment  lose  them 
from  sight.  The  next  time  that  they  crossed  in  front  of 
her,  they  were  promenading,  and  the  girl  had  his  arm. 
Miguel  looked  at  his  wife,  and  she  replied  with  a  forced 
smile. 

"How  does  my  wife  dance,  uncle?" 

"Admirably  !     She  excels  Lola  Montez." 

"  So  I  see.     She  has  turned  you  into  a  watering-pot !  " 

In  fact,  great  drops  of  sweat  ran  down  the  worthy 
caballero's  brow,  and  he  tried  to  arrest  them  to  prevent 
them  inundating  his  side-whiskers. 


194  MAXIMINA. 

Maximina  soon  grew  weary,  and  expressed  her  desire 
to  sit  down.  As  soon  as  she  had  taken  her  place,  Saave- 
dra  came  and  sat  by  her  side  ;  and  Uncle  Manolo  went  off 
to  invite  some  other  young  lady. 

Ever  since  the  beginning  of  the  party  the  Audalusian 
gentleman's  eyes  had  persistently  followed  Maximina, 
and  by  a  slight  trembling  and  closing  of  the  eyelids 
had  expressed  perfect  approval  of  her.  Don  Alfonso 
was  a  most  intelligent  connoisseur  of  the  female  sex  ; 
he  never  failed  to  be  fascinated  either  by  brilliancy,  by 
far-fetched  originality,  or  by  adornments  ;  he  appreciated 
in  women  genuine  beauty  and  grace,  winsome  innocence 
and  freshness  ;  like  every  one  who  for  long  years  has 
cultivated  any  art  con  amore,  he  had  come  to  hate  all 
things  that  savored  of  affectation,  and  to  worship  only 
simplicity  ;  the  conversation  of  coquettes  amused  him,  but 
did  not  conquer  him. 

Thus  it  was  that  Maximina  had  always  been  extremely 
pleasing  to  him,  and  he  had  shown  it  more  than  once  at 
his  aunt's  house.  He  said  of  her  that  her  modesty  and 
innocence  did  not  belong  to  this  day,  but  to  the  golden 
age ;  one  time  when  he  addressed  a  guarded  bit  of  flat- 
tery to  her,  in  the  presence  of  la  brigadiera  and  Julia, 
the  child  grew  so  crimson  that  Don  Alfonso  resolved  not 
to  do  so  again,  for  fear  it  should  be  suspected  that  he  was 
making  love  to  her. 

This  evening  she  struck  his  fancy  more  than  ever.  As 
Maximina  did  not  usually  care  much  for  the  adornment 
of  her  person,  the  elegance  which  she  now  displayed 
made  her  look  truly  brilliant.  The  Audalusian  caba- 
llero  with  the  boundless  audacity  characteristic  of  him, 
made  up  his  mind  to  try  a  little  gallantry,  without  any 
meaning  in  it,  of  course. 

He  was  too  skilful  not  to  know  that  in  this  case  he 


MAX1MINA.  195 

must  lay  aside  his  usual  tactics  as  useless  and  dangerous. 
Nothing  about  flowers  and  flattery  ;  still  less,  significant 
looks.  A  fluent  talk  about  the  ball,  about  the  prepara- 
tions which  the  young  wife  had  been  obliged  to  make  ; 
questions,  and  more  questions,  always  being  careful  to 
repeat  her  name  many  times,  since  Don  Alfonso  had 
learned  by  experience  that  every  woman  enjoys  this 
repetition. 

Maximum  replied  amiably,  but  in  few  words  ;  her  face 
showed  a  peculiar  absent-minded  expression  which  vexed 
the  Andalusian.  and  disconcerted  him  a  little.  Instead  of 
holding  himself  firmly  in  the  attitude  which  he  had  pro- 
posed he  began  to  allow  himself  to  yield,  and  soon  found 
himself  giving  signs  of  the  interest  which  she  inspired  in 
him. 

Meanwhile,  Miguel,  after  stopping  and  talking  with 
two  or  three  ladies  for  a  little  while,  returned  and  sat 
down  by  Filomena.  She  received  him  with  a  look  that 
was  half  severe  and  half  quizzical. 

"  Wh}-  have  you  come  here?  .  .  .     Get  you  gone  !  " 

"  So  as  to  count  the  patches  that  you  have  on  your  left 
cheek :  I  have  made  out  that  there  are  seven  on  the 
right  cheek,  distributed  in  conformity  with  the  precepts  of 
art." 

"  Ah !  have  you  come  to  insult  me  ?  " 

"  In  what  chronicle  have  you  read  that  a  Rivera  ever 
insulted  a  Losilla?  " 

"  Never  till  this  moment;  but  in  the  centuries  to  co(me 
it  will  be  known  that  a  Rivera  had  the  discourtesy  to  tell 
a  Losilla  that  she  wore  patches." 

"  As  Heaven  is  my  witness,  how  that  chronicler  who 
reported  such  thing  would  lie  !  El  Rivera  has  said  it  and 
stands  ready  to  support  his  statement  in  the  lists  that  La 
Losilla  has  lovely  patches  on  her  face,  and  that  they  are 


196  MAXIMINA. 

of  such  and  such  a  kind,  and  applied  in  such  skilful  sort 
that  the  most  ingenious  artificer  could  not  have  placed 
them  with  more  neatness." 

"  Let  us  drop  fables  ;  the  main  thing  now  is  that  I  do 
not  wish  you  to  approach  me  under  this  appearance  of  a 
blase  ladykiller !  Do  you  hear  ?  The  people  will  be 
thinking  that  you  are  making  love  to  me." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  not  make  love  to  you  :  what  do  you 
want  me  to  do,  then?" 

Filomena  cast  another  look  of  feigned  anger  at  him. 

"How  graceful!  Do  you  know,  Senor  de  Rivera,  that 
in  spite  of  your  audacity,  I  imagine  that  you  are  a  person 
who  has  not  yet  got  all  your  wisdom  teeth  ?  " 

Miguel  smiled  without  replying. 

Maximina,  who  was  sitting  directly  opposite,  kept 
directing  timid  glances  toward  them. 

Meanwhile,  Julia,  who  had  very  quickly  noticed  the 
persistent  attention  which  her  sister-in-law  was  receiving 
from  Saavedra,  and  the  eagerness  that  he  showed  in  talk- 
ing with  her,  began  to  grow  nervous  and  irritable,  so  that 
her  annoyance  showed  in  her  face.  She  endeavored 
vainly,  by  a  rather  inopportune  gesture,  to  bring  him  back 
to  her  side.  Finding  herself  defeated  and  humiliated, 
blind  with  jealousy  and  anxious  to  have  revenge  on  Saave- 
dra, she  began  to  flirt  with  Utrilla.  O  fortunate  cadet ! 
and  who  could  have  predicted  that  in  one  instant  thou 
wouldst  be  enabled  to  pass  from  those  unendurable  tor- 
ments to  the  summit  of  all  bliss  and  felicity  ?  For  as  soon 
as*  Julita  and  he  drew  near  each  other,  it  was  as  though 
the  poles  of  positive  and  negative  electricity  were  brought 
into  contact :  the  flash  of  love  was  visible  to  everybody. 

Julita  smiled,  blushed,  prattled,  gave  him  her  fan  and 
her  gloves,  and  the  flowers  from  her  bosom,  and  devoured 
him  with  her  eyes ;  but  this  did  not  prevent  her  from  now 


MAXIMINA.  197 

and  then  looking  surreptitiously  at  her  cousin  and  sister- 
in-law  and  casting  angry  glances  at  them. 

Maximina  was  endeavoring  with  all  the  power  of  her 
soul  to  divine  what  her  husband  was  saying  to  Filomena : 
the  affected  gravity  with  which  they  both  spoke  did  not 
help  to  calm  her ;  she  knew  from  experience  that  Miguel 
was  apt  to  put  on  a'serious  face  when  he  was  going  to  say 
to  that  young  lady  any  piece  of  impudence  that  came 
into  his  mind. 

"  Don't  you  have  any  longing  for  Pasajes?"  Saavedra 
was  asking. 

"A  little,  yes,  sir ;  but  here  I  am  very  happy." 

"  How  long  is  it  since  you  were  married?  " 

"It  will  be  nine  months  on  the  fourth." 

Don  Alfonso  said  nothing  for  several  moments  and 
seemed  to  be  thinking  ;  then  he  said  sadly :  — 

"  How  many  times  I  have  passed  by  Pasajes  and  seen 
those  cottages  stretching  along  the  shore  of  the  bay,  with- 
out ever  having  thought  of  stopping  there  !  " 

"  You  have  not  lost  much ;  everybody  says  it  is  a  very 
ugly  village  ;  except  the  church,  which  is  rather  fine,  Don 
Joaquin's  house,  Arrequi's,  and  a  few  in  the  Ancho,  there 
is  nothing  much  to  see." 

"  Now,  of  course,  it  can't  amount  to  anything  .  .  .  but 
before.  ..." 

Maximina  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  It  was  formerly  not  as  good  as  now  ;  the  best  houses 
were  built  about  five  or  six  years  ago." 

"  Before,  it  was  worth  infinitely  more,  because  you  were 
there." 

"  Mercy  !  what  difference  did  it  make  whether  I  were 
there  or  not?"  exclaimed  Maximina,  innocently. 

"  Because  here  or  there,  or  wherever  }-ou  happened  to 
be,"  replied  the  caballero,  piqued  by  the  young  matron's 


198  MAXIMINA. 

ingenuous  indifference,  so  absolutely  free  from  coquetry, 
"  you  would  always  be  something  so  precious  as  to  attract 
every  one's  attention.  And  what  makes  you  more  precious 
still,  and  more  worthy  of  admiration,  is  that  you  have  not 
the  remotest  idea  of  your  value  :  }rou  are  a  beautiful,  fresh, 
fragrant,  aromatic  flower,  which  is  absolutely  unconscious 
of  itself.  ..." 

Maximina  had  not  heard  Don  Alfonso's  last  words, 
perceiving  that  her  husband  had  just  given  Filomena  an 
intense  look  —  we  cannot  tell  what  she  saw  in  it  —  that 
congealed  her  with  terror :  she  grew  as  pale  as  wax,  and 
suddenly  conceiving  an  idea  that  she  thought  might  be  her 
salvation,  she  got  up  without  replying  to  Saavedra,  and 
going  straight  to  Filomena,  she  said  in  a  hoarse  voice, 
trying  to  smile  :  — 

"  Filomena,  do  you  want  to  see  that  edging  that  I  was 
speaking  about  yesterday  ?  " 

Miguel  and  Filomena  looked  up  in  amazement.  Miguel 
was  more  ashamed  than  surprised. 

"  With  great  pleasure,  dear,"  said  the  young  woman. 

Maximina  started  to  go  toward  the  door.  Filomena 
paused  a  moment  to  give  a  retort  to  Rivera's  last  jest. 

"  Are  you  coming  or  not?  "  asked  the  young  wife,  halt- 
ing in  the  middle  of  the  parlor,  and  giving  her  a  look 
barbed  with  hatred. 

Miguel  had  never  seen  in  his  wife's  eyes  such  an  expres- 
sion, nor  imagined  that  her  voice  could  have  such  a  ring. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  I  am  coming,  Maximina  !  "  said  the  young 
woman,  hastening  to  rise. 

And  at  the  same  time,  making  a  little  face  at  Miguel, 
she  said  in  a  low  voice  :  — 

"  Do  you  see?    Your  wife  is  already  jealous  !  " 

Miguel  watched  them  go  out,  not  without  a  feeling  of 
vexation. 


MAXIMINA.  199 

Saavedra,  seeing  his  partner  get  up  so  unexpectedly, 
and  thus  casting  such  a  slur  on  his  reputation  as  a  lady- 
killer,  frowned  darkly  and  bit  his  lips  in  vexation. 
Julia,  who  in  spite  of  her  apparent  absorption  in  conver- 
sation with  Utrilla,  had  not  lost  the  slightest  detail  of  this 
scene,  burst  into  a  harsh  laugh.  Saavedra  gave  her  an 
angry  and  malignant  look,  the  meaning  of  which  she  was 
very  far  from  suspecting  at  that  time. 

The  party  was  brought  to  an  end  by  Senor  de  Ramirez 
taking  out  his  watch  and  announcing  in  a  loud  voice  that 
it  was  half -past  two  in  the  morning.  Various  mammas 
arose  as  though  moved  by  springs ;  the  girls  reluctantly 
followed  their  example  ;  a  great  group  was  formed  in  the 
-centre  of  the  parlor ;  numberless  farewells  were  heard,  a 
clatter  of  kisses,  and  ripples  of  feminine  laughter. 

The  young  couple  took  their  place  at  the  stairway  door, 
and  bade  good  night  to  their  guests,  at  the  same  time 
adding  their  assistance  to  that  of  the  servants  in  the  put- 
ting on  of  wraps.  They  were  overwhelmed  with  thanks  and 
congratulations.  Then  everything  relapsed  into  silence. 

Miguel  and  his  wife  returned  to  the  parlor.  Maximina 
was  extremely  pale,  as  her  husband  could  see  out  of  the 
corner  of  his  eye ;  he  also  noticed  that  she  flung  herself 
down  upon  a  sofa. 

He,  pretending  to  be  absent-minded,  put  out  the  candles 
that  were  burning  in  the  candelabra  on  the  mantel-piece, 
and  set  some  of  the  furniture  in  place.  On  returning 
from  the  other  room  one  time,  he  saw  his  wife  with  her 
face  buried  in  a  pillow  and  sobbing.  He  went  to  her  and 
said  with  affected  surprise  :  — 

"Crying?" 

The  poor  child  did  not  reply. 

"  What  are  you  crying  for?"  he  added,  with  cruel  cold- 
ness. 


200  MAXIMINA. 

Still  Maximina  made  no  answer. 

Miguel  waited  an  instant,  still  standing ;  then  he  went 
and  sat  down  at  the  other  end  of  the  sofa. 

The  lights  in  the  chandeliers  burned  silently  ;  nothing 
was  heard  but  the  noises  made  by  the  servants  in  the  din- 
ing-room and  kitchen ;  the  atmosphere  of  the  parlor  was 
filled  with  the  penetrating  odor  compounded  of  all  the  per- 
fumes which  the  ladies  had  brought  with  them.  Briga- 
dier Rivera's  son,  bending  forward  with  his  elbows  rest- 
ing on  his  knees,  was  playing  with  his  glove. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  silence  Maximina  exclaimed  in 
the  midst  of  her  sobs  :  — 

"  Madre  mia!  how  unhappy  I  am  to-day  !  " 

Miguel's  face  was  violently  contracted  into  an  expres- 
sion of  anger ;  after  a  while,  trying  to  soften  his  voice, 
but  still  letting  it  sound  very  harsh,  he  said  :  — 

"  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  such  a  thing.  I  did 
not  think  that  you  were  so  badly  married  !  " 

"No,  Miguel,  no,"  she  hastened  to  say;  "you  are 
very  good  to  me,  but  this  evening  you  have  greatly  tor- 
tured me  .  .  .  perhaps  without  being  aware  of  it." 

Miguel  gave  an  ironical  laugh. 

"  I  am  not  the  one  who  tortures  you  ...  it  is  your  own 
self.  You  insist  on  seeing  visions,  you  lose  your  wits, 
and  when  it  is  least  to  be  expected,  zas  I  you  are  commit- 
ting some  solecism !  .  .  .  What  you  just  did,  getting  up 
in  a  state  of  anger  and  calling  Filomena,  .  .  .  and  the 
severity  with  which  you  spoke  to  her,  might  have  com- 
promised us  in  everybody's  eyes.  .  .  .  Fortunately  she  is 
a  talented  girl  who  knew  how  to  dissemble.  .  .  ." 

"Yes,  yes;  dissemble  because  it  suited  her  conven- 
ience. Indeed,  I  believe  that  she  dissembles  !  " 

"  Come  now,  don't  talk  nonsense,  Maximina." 

"  I   am   telling  the  truth,  and  everybody  saw  it.  ... 


MAXIMINA.  201 

This  woman  either  loves  you  or  wants  to  torment  me. 
This  whole  evening  long  she  has  not  ceased  to  look  sneer- 
ingly  at  me.  .  .  ." 

"  Do  you  realize  how  ridiculous  you  are  with  your 
jealousy  ?  Why  should  Filomena  look  at  you  in  such  a 
way?  You  know  her  character  too  well,  that  she  is 
always  joking,  and  that  this  saucy  expression  is  habitual 
to  her  eyes." 

"That  is  right;  take  her  part,  take  her  part!"  ex- 
claimed the  young  wife,  in  a  tone  of  deep  pain.  "  She 
is  the  good  saint,  the  talented  woman  !  I  am  the  fool, 
the  absurd,  the  ridiculous  !  " 

Miguel  jumped  up,  gave  his  wife  an  angr}-  look,  and 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  exclaimed :  — 

"AVhat  stupidity!" 

And  he  slowly  walked  toward  his  study.  When  Maxi- 
miiia  heard  her  husband's  steps,  she  quickly  raised  her 
head  and  cried  in  supreme  anguish,  her  eyes  swimming 
with  tears  :  — 

"  Miguel !  Miguel !  " 

But  he,  without  even  turning  his  head,  replied  with 
affected  disdain  :  — 

"  Go  to  the  deuce  !  "     And  he  left  the  room. 

Foolish  Miguel !  cowardly  Miguel !  Years  will  pass, 
and  when  you  remember  those  words,  you  will  feel  your 
heart  torn  within  you  and  the  tears  wet  your  cheeks.  But 
at  that  instant,  excited  by  anger,  he  had  no  thought  of 
his  injustice  and  cruelty  nor  of  the  havoc  which  they 
might  cause  in  his  wife's  sensitive  and  tender  soul.  He 
sat  down  by  his  table,  opened  a  book,  and  began  to  read : 
but  he  could  not  regain  his  calmness  ;  at  the  end  of  a  few 
minutes  his  conscience  began  to  prick  him  ;  the  letters 
blurred  before  his  eyes  so  that  he  could  not  make  out  a 
sentence.  He  closed  the  book,  got  up,  and  returned  to 
the  parlor  with  an  earnest  desire  for  reconciliation. 


202  MAXIMINA. 

Maximina  was  no  longer  there. 

He  went  to  the  library  and  her  sleeping-room,  but  failed 
to  find  her ;  lie  went  to  the  dining-room  and  the  inner 
apartments  ;  still  no  Maximina.  He  asked  the  servants, 
but  they  could  give  no  tidings  about  her.  Then  imagin- 
ing that  in  her  grief  she  had  gone  to  hide  somewhere,  he 
began  a  regular  search  ;  but  as  he  was  passing  near  the 
stairway  door,  he  paused  anxious  and  dumfounded,  with 
consternation  painted  on  his  face  :  — 

' '  Have  any  of  you  opened  the  door  ?  " 

"  No,  senorito  ;  we  have  not  moved  from  here." 

Pale  as  death,  he  snatched  his  hat  that  was  hanging  on 
the  rack,  and  leaped  down  the  stairs,  which  were  still 
lighted.  He  found  the  janitor  just  in  the  act  of  putting 
out  the  lights. 

' '  Remigio,  have  you  seen  my  wife  go  out  ?  " 

The  janitor,  the  janitor's  wife  and  mother-in-law  looked 
at  him  in  amazement.  Perceiving  the  imprudence  of  such 
a  question,  he  added  :  — 

"  I  don't  know  but  what  she  may  have  gone  home  with 
my  mother  and  sister.  Mother  felt  ill,  and  my  wife  did 
not  want  to  let  her  go.  ..." 

"  Senorito,  we  cannot  tell  3"ou  anything  with  certainty. 
Many  ladies  went  out  ...  we  could  not  distinguish." 

"Just  a  few  minutes  ago,"  said  a  six-year-old  girl, 
"  I  saw  a  lady  go  out  alone.  .  .  ." 

"  We  have  been  to  the  court  to  carry  a  few  flower-pots 
from  the  stairway,"  explained  the  janitor's  wife. 

Miguel,  without  any  further  words,  darted  out  of  the 
door. 

"Senorito,  are  you  going  out  that  way?  You  will 
surely  get  your  death  a-cold !  " 

In  fact,  he  was  in  his  dress-suit.  Stopping,  and  mak- 
ing a  great  effort  to  appear  calm,  he  replied  :  — 


MAXIMINA.  203 

"  That  is  a  fact;  do  me  the  goodness  to  run  up  and 
get  my  overcoat." 

When  they  brought  it  to  him,  he  said,  as  he  put  it  on  :  — 

"Thank,  you  much.  Please  not  lock  up  until  I  come  ; 
I  shall  not  be  long." 

"Don't  trouble  yourself,  senorito;  we  will  wait  for 
you." 

As  soon  as  he  was  in  the  street,  he  knew  not  whither 
to  direct  his  steps ;  his  heart  beat  violently ;  he  was  so 
anxious  that  his  clearness  of  mind  entirely  deserted  him. 

After  hesitating  a  few  moments,  he  started  to  go  along 
the  Plaza  del  Angel,  without  any  reason  for  it ;  but  there 
was  just  as  little  for  choosing  any  other  direction. 

He  quickened  his  steps  as  soon  as  he  could,  without 
seeing  any  one  beside  the  watchman  on  the  corner. 

He  entered  the  Calle  de  Carretas,  and  saw  only  a  group 
of  3"oung  men  going  along  discussing  literature. 

When  he  reached  the  Puerta  del  Sol,1  he  made  out  in 
the  distance,  near  San  Jeronimo  Avenue,  a  woman's  form  ; 
he  felt  a  strong  emotion,  and  without  thinking  that  he 
might  be  taken  for  an  evil-doer,  he  started  to  run  after 
her.  She  was  a  desgraciada,  who,  as  she  turned  around 
to  see  who  was  following  her  in  that  way,  met  the  young 
man's  astonished  and  startled  eyes. 

"  See  here,  senorito  !  "  she  cried  in  a  coarse  voice. 

But  Miguel  had  already  dashed  by  her  down  the  Calle 
del  Principe.  Aud  suddenly  he  found  himself  again  in 
the  Plaza  de  Santa  Ana.  Then  he  stood  still,  and  clutch- 
ing his  temples  with  his  hands,  exclaimed  aloud,  in  a 
voice  of  anguish  :  — 

"  My  God,  what  has  happened  to  me  !  " 

He  looked  in  every  direction,  in  discouragement,  and 
seeing  no  one,  he  made  his  way  into  the  gardens  in  the 
1  The  central  square  in  Madrid. 


204  MAXIMINA. 

centre,  so  as  to  reach  his  house  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
ask  the  janitor's  assistance.  But  just  as  he  was  near 
home,  he  saw  a  woman's  dress  gleaming  on  one  of  the 
benches  there.  It  did  not  take  him  many  steps  to  make 
certain  that  it  was  his  wife. 

"  Maximina  !  Maximina  !  " 

The  child,  who  was  sobbing  with  her  head  leaning  on 
the  bacli  of  the  seat,  instantly  lifted  it.  Miguel  took  her 
by  the  hand,  gently  lifted  her  to  her  feet,  with  the  same 
gentleness  made  her  lean  upon  his  arm,  and  silently 
crossed  the  distance  that  separated  them  from  his  dwell- 
ing. As  they  entered  the  doorway,  he  said,  naturally,  so 
as  to  be  heard  by  all:  "  Why  didn't  you  tell  me,  wife? 
You  gave  me  a  great  fright." 

The  janitor  and  his  wife  bowed. 

"  Can  we  shut  up  now,  senorito?" 

"  Whenever  you  please." 

They  mounted  the  stairs  in  the  same  silence  as  before. 
They  entered  their  apartment,  and  after  giving  suitable 
orders  for  all  the  lights  to  be  put  out,  Miguel  took  his  wife 
to  her  room ;  he  locked  the  door,  and  going  to  the  little 
wife,  who  was  looking  at  him  full  of  fear  and  even  anguish, 
he  made  her  sit  down  in  a  chair ;  then  kneeling  at  her 
feet,  and  kissing  her  hands  tenderby,  he  said :  — • 

"  Forgive  me  !  " 

"Oh,  no,  Miguel!"  she  cried,  in  the  height  of  confu- 
sion and  mortification,  and  making  desperate  efforts  to 
kneel  down,  and  make  her  husband  rise.  "  Don't  put 
me  to  shame,  for  Heaven's  sake  !  I  am  the  one,  indeed  I 
am,  who  ought  to  ask  }'our  forgiveness  for  the  atrocity 
which  I  have  just  committed,  for  the  pain  I  have  given 
you.  .  .  .  Let  go  of  me  !  Let  go  of  me  !  ...  Do  you 
forgive  me?  ...  I  was  mad,  perfectly  mad.  ...  I 
thought  that  you  did  not  love  me,  and  my  better  judg- 


MAXIMINA.  205 

ment  deserted  me.  I  wanted  to  die,  and  nothing 
else." 

"  Hush,  hush  !  "  he  replied,  by  main  force  keeping  her 
in  her  seat.  "To-morrow  do  whatever  you  please;  to- 
night it  is  my  right  to  ask  your  forgiveness,  and  to  swear 
before  God  that  1  will  never  again  as  long  as  I  live  give 
you  cause  for  jealousy,  either  with  the  girl  up  stairs  or  any 
other." 

And  the  report  goes  that  he  fulfilled  his  vow. 


XVI. 

IT  happened  that  one  clear,  cool  February  evening,  as 
they  were  walking  along  the  street,  Maximina  said  to  her 
husband  :  — 

" I  feel  very  tired.     Don't  you  want  to  go  home? " 

"Is  it  only  weariness,"  he  asked,  looking  at  her  with 
interest.  "  Don't  3-011  feel  ill?  " 

"A  little,"  she  said,  leaning  somewhat  heavier  on  his 
arm. 

"I  will  call  a  carriage." 

"No,  no !  I  am  perfectly  able  to  walk." 

In  spite  of  her  willingness,  however,  Maximina  found 
walking  each  moment  more  difficult ;  her  husband  per- 
ceiving it,  quickly  stopped,  and  considered  for  a  moment ; 
then  taking  her  hand,  said  :  — 

"  I  am  sure  that  I  know  what  the  trouble  is ;  I  am  going 
to  call  a  carriage." 

The  young  wife  hung  her  head  as  though  detected  in 
some  crime.  They  stopped  the  first  Simon  that  passed 
without  a  fare,  and  rode  home.  As  soon  as  they  were  in 
doors,  Miguel  put  on  the  bearing  of  a  general  on  the 
eve  of  battle ;  he  began  to  give  curt  and  peremptory 


206  MAXIMINA. 

orders  to  the  maids.  In  a  short  time  nothing  was  heard 
but  hurried  steps  and  whisperings ;  women  appeared 
bringing  bed  linen,  dishes,  bottles,  and  other  articles. 
There  was  a  call  at  the  door ;  it  proved  to  be  the  jani- 
tor and  his  wife,  and  they  with  the  servants  held  a  long 
and  anxious  council,  everybody  speaking  in  a  whisper. 

Miguel  presided  silently  and  solemnly  over  the  making 
of  the  gi'eat  nuptial  couch,  while  Maximina,  seated  in  one 
of  the  easy-chairs  in  the  library,  watched  them,  her  face 
pale  and  anxious. 

"How  much  trouble  you  take  for  my  sake,  Miguel !" 
"For  your  sake?"   exclaimed  he,  half  surprised  and 
half  disturbed.     "  I  certainly  should  be  a  fine  fellow  not 
to  put  myself  to  some  trouble  for  my  wife  on  such  an 
occasion." 

The  poor  child  repaid  him  with  a  loving  smile. 
The  bed  was  very  quickly  made.     Juana  looked  at  it 
enthusiastically . 

"Senorito,  it  is  like  an  altar!  Would  the  queen's  be 
finer?  " 

"There  is  no  queen  any  longer,  woman.  Do  me  the 
favor  not  to  stand  there  like  a  post.  Take  the  alcohol 
stove  and  put  it  on  the  dressing-table.  .  .  .  Quick ! 
quick !  And  the  other  girls  —  what  are  they  doing  in 
the  kitchen?" 

"Both  of  them  have  gone  on  errands." 
"  What !  haven't  they  got  back  yet?  " 
"  But,  senorito,  they  have  only  just  gone  out !  " 
"Come  now,  stop  talking,  and  go  after  the  stove." 
Juana  left  the  room,  utterly  dumfounded ;  the  senorito 
had  suddenly  changed  his  character ;  he  acted  like  a  mad- 
man !     He  walked  up  and  down  through  the  house,  with 
long  strides  ;  he  gave  more  orders  now  in  a  moment  than  in 
a  month  before,  and  was  vexed  at  everything  that  was 


MAXIMINA,  207 

said  to  him.  From  time  to  time  he  would  go  to  his  wife, 
and  ask  her  anxiously  :  — 

"  How  are  you  feeling  now?" 

More  than  a  hundred  times  he  had  been  to  the  door 
and  listened  ;  but  no  one  came.  In  desperation  he  again 
began  his  agitated  walk.  At  last  he  thought  that  he  heard 
steps  on  the  stairs.  .  .  .  Could  it  be  !  ...  Nothing ;  it 
was  only  the  janitor  carrying  up  a  telegram  to  the  third 
story-  The  mischief  take  it !  Another  spell  of  waiting  ! 
"  How  wretched  !  Where  can  that  miserable  Placida  have 
gone  ?  Surely  she  must  be  gallivanting  with  that  young 
sergeant  of  engineers.  How  little  humanity  these  ser- 
vants have !  As  soon  as  the  crisis  is  over,  I  will  give  her 
a  walking  ticket !  I  would  much  better  have  sent  Juaua, 
who,  at  least,  hasn't  an}-  lover.  .  .  . 

"Do  you  feel  worse,  Maximina?  A  little  tea  would 
not  do  you  any  harm.  ...  I  will  go  and  make  it  myself. 
.  .  .  Courage  !  " 

"You  need  it  more  than  I,  poor  fellow!"  said  the 
young  wife,  smiling. 

As  he  crossed  the  passage-way,  the  door-bell  rang. 

"At  last!  " 

Deceived  again  !  It  was  the  Countess  de  Losilla,  who 
came  to  offer  her  services  "  for  everything."  The  young 
ladies  did  not  come  down  for  reasons  easy  to  imagine. 

"  But,  Rivera,  how  pale  you  are  !  " 

"  Seiiora,  there  is  no  small  reason  for  it,"  he  replied 
peevishly. 

"But  why,  my  son?"  she  demanded.  "If  there  is  no 
complication,  as  we  have  reason  to  hope,  there  is  nothing 
more  natural  and  harmless." 

Miguel,  in  his  turn,  had  to  use  strong  efforts  to  repress 
his  indignation.  "Natural  for  me  to  have  a  son!  How 
stupid  the  aristocracy  are  !  "  he  said  to  himself. 


208  MAXIMINA. 

Maximina  received  this  visit  gratefully,  but  with  some 
feeling  of  embarrassment.  The  countess  began  to  take 
the  direction  of  affairs,  like  a  consummate  strategist, 
calmly  and  unhesitatingly  giving  every  order. 

From  this  moment  Miguel  remained  entirely  eclipsed  ; 
the  maids  paid  absolutely  no  heed  to  him,  and  he  found 
himself  obliged  to  wander  like  a  lost  soul  up  and  down 
the  corridors.  Once  when  he  attacked  Juana  to  bid  her 
take  the  tila  in  a  glass,  and  not  in  a  cup,  she  told  him  to 
leave  her  in  peace,  that  he  knew  nothing  about  such 
things.  And  he  had  to  put  up  with  it ! 

At  last  the  midwife  came.  Miguel  followed  her,  more 
dead  than  alive,  to  the  room,  but  the  countess  shut  the 
door  in  his  face.  Then  after  a  little  she  opened  it  again, 
and  b}T  the  smile  on  the  face  of  all  he  saw  that  all  was 
going  well. 

"  Senorito,  it  is  all  right,"  said  the  comadre. 

"  What !  is  there  no  need  of  calling  the  doctor?  " 

"Not  in  the  least,  thank  God !     I  will  answer  for  it." 

He  became  calm,  as  though  a  divinity  had  spoken  from 
the  clouds.  But  in  the  course  of  ten  minutes  he  suddenly 
lost  faith  ;  that  woman  might  be  deceiving  him  or  deceiv- 
ing  herself ;  who  could  have  any  confidence  in  such  peo- 
ple? He  cautiously  approached  the  chamber,  and  said, 
putting  his  head  in  at  the  door  :  — 

"It  seems  to  me  that  I  had  better  call  in  the  doctor.  .  .  . 
For  safety's  sake  —  nothing  more,"  he  added,  timidly. 

"As  you  please,  seuorito,"  replied  the  comadre,  dryly, 
and  with  a  scornful  gesture. 

' '  Rivera,  for  Heaven's  sake !  Haven't  you  heard  her 
say  that  she  would  be  responsible?"  said  the  countess. 

"  "Well,  well,  if  she  will  be  responsible,"  he  replied, 
somewhat  abashed.  And  then  he  asked  with  affected 
coolness :  — 


MAXIMINA.  209 

"How  soon?" 

The  women  all  laughed  aloud.  The  midwife  replied  in 
a  condescending  tone  :  — 

"  Senorito,  don't  worry.  It  will  be  when  God  wishes, 
and  all  will  be  well !  " 

He  began  to  wander  again  like  a  shade  through  the  cor- 
ridors, not  a  little  disgusted  and  anxious.  The  result 
was  that  every  one  found  him  ridiculous  on  this  occasion 
and  even  laughed  in  his  very  face,  and  yet  he  could  not 
persuade  himself  that  it  was  right  for  him  to  intrust  his 
happiness  and  his  very  life  in  the  hands  of  an  ignorant 
woman.  He  would  have  been  more  than  glad  to  call  a 
counsel  of  all  the  eminent  physicians  of  the  court.  "  If 
there  is  the  least  complication,  I  will  choke  her  to  death !  " 
he  said  to  himself,  in  a  perfect  fury.  And  with  this  con- 
solatory threat  he  felt  relieved. 

After  a  little  while  his  stepmother  arrived,  and  she 
also  immediately  began  to  give  orders.  She  was  followed 
by  the  senora  of  the  third  floor,  the  wife  of  an  employ^ 
of  the  Tribunal  de  la  Rota.1  Behind  her  came  a  maid 
bringing  an  enormous  picture  of  San  Ram6n  Nonnato, 
and  this  she  placed  in  Maximina's  room,  with  two  lighted 
candles  at  the  side  of  it.  This  lady  likewise  began  to 
give  directions  as  soon  as  she  arrived.  It  really  seemed 
as  if  everybody  had  the  right  to  issue  orders  except 
the  master  of  the  house,  toward  whom  all  those  ladies, 
and  even  the  maid-servants,  took  delight  in  showing  a 
profound  and  no  less  unjustified  contempt. 

"  Why,  however  you  look  at  it,"  he  said  to  himself, 
with  eminent  truth,  thrusting  his  hands  into  his  pockets, 
and  looking  gloomy  and  annoyed,  "  I  am  the  husband, 

1  Rota  de  la  Nunciatura  Apostdlica,  a  supreme  ecclesiastical  court 
of  last  appeal  in  Spain,  composed  of  judges  nominated  by  the  king  and 
confirmed  by  the  Pope. 


210  MAXIMINA. 

and,  besides,  I  am,  or,  at  least,  shall  be,  the  .  .  .  the  .  .  . 
which  is  the  same  thing." 

The  poor  fellow  did  not  open  his  mouth  unless  to  make 
some  blunder,  worthy  at  least  of  a  disdainful  smile. 

Once,  catching  sight  of  his  wife  standing  up  and  lean- 
ing on  Juaua  and  the  comadre,  it  occurred  to  him  to  sug- 
gest that  she  would  be  better  off  in  bed.  The  representa- 
tives of  the  female  sex,  like  one  body,  fulminated  such  a 
terrible  look  at  him  that  we  cannot  possibly  explain  why 
it  did  not  reduce  him  to  ashes.  La  briyadiera,  striving 
to  contain  herself  and  soften  her  voice,  said  to  him  :  — 

"  Miguel,  you  are  disturbing  us.  I  beg  of  you  to 
leave  us,  and  we  will  send  for  you  in  good  tune." 

He  obeyed  in  spite  of  himself:  as  he  left  the  room  he 
saw  such  a  sad  and  loving  look  in  his  wife's  eyes,  that  he 
was  on  the  point  of  opening  the  door  again  and  say- 
ing:— 

"  Ladies,  see  here!  I  am  the  master,  this  is  my  wife, 
and  you  depart  whence  you  came  !  " 

But  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  dispute  might 
annoy  Maximina,  and  he  swallowed  his  chagrin. 

Now,  absolutel}"  condemned  to  ostracism  in  the  cor- 
ridors, he  walked  up  and  down  in  them  for  a  long  time, 
listening  to  all  the  noises  in  the  bedroom.  He  was  anx- 
ious to  hear  his  wife's  voice,  even  though  it  were  in  tones 
of  anguish  ;  but  there  was  nothing  :  he  could  hear  all  the 
others,  but  not  hers. 

"  How  is  it  going?"  he  asked  of  the  countess,  who  was 
starting  for  the  kitchen. 

"  Very  well,  very  well.     Don't  you  be  troubled." 

An  hour  passed,  and,  worn  out  by  his  incessant  walking 
up  and  down,  he  went  to  the  parlor  and  threw  himself 
upon  a  sofa.  He  sat  there  for  some  time,  with  his  eyes 
wide  open,  trying  to  conquer  the  drowsiness  that  was  tak- 


MAXIMINA.  211 

ing  possession  of  him  in  spite  of  himself.  But  at  last 
he  yielded :  he  stretched  out  his  feet,  settled  his  head 
comfortably,  yawned  tremendously,  and  soon  was  sleep- 
ing like  a  log. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  three  or  four  women  pre- 
cipitately invaded  the  parlor,  shouting  at  the  top  of  their 
voices :  — 

"Don  Miguel!  .  .  .     Rivera!*.  .  .     Seiiorito!  " 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  he  cried,  looking  up  in  alarm. 

"Nothing,  except  that  you  have  a  son!  Come, 
come ! " 

And  they  pulled  him  with  them  to  the  chamber,  where 
he  saw  his  wife,  still  seated  in  an  easy-chair,  her  face 
pale,  but  beaming  with  celestial  happiness.  At  the  same 
instant  he  saw  Juana  in  one  corner  with  a  something  in 
her  hands  that  was  squalling  horribly !  He  could  not 
bear  to  look  at  it  for  an  instant,  but  turned  his  face  to  his 
wife  and  kissed  her  tenderly. 

When  Miguel  left  the  room,  his  heart  was  in  his  mouth. 

When  he  found  himself  alone  he  began  to  weep  like  a 
child. 

"Poor  little  wife!"  he  murmured.  "She  suffered 
.without  a  complaint,  and  there  I  was  sleeping  like  a 
brute !  I  shall  never  forgive  myself  for  such  selfishness 
as  long  as  I  live !  .  .  .  Still,  it  was  the  fault  of  those 
women,"  he  added,  with  a  sudden  wrath  ;  "  those  meddle- 
some persons  who  drove  me  out  of  the  room." 

His  remorse  quickly  subsided,  and  gave  way  to  a  thou- 
sand pleasant  emotions  of  paternity.  He  wanted  to  go  in 
a  second  time ;  but  the  women  !  always  those  women ! 
—  they  blocked  his  way.  saying  that  the  infant  was  not 
yet  washed  and  swaddled,  or  his  wife  put  to  bed. 

When  all  this  was  accomplished,  he  went  into  her  room  ; 
his  wife  was  lovelier  than  ever  as  she  lay  in  bed,  with  a 


212  MAXIMINA. 

lace  cap  adorned  with  blue  ribbons  on  her  head,  and  wear- 
ing a  clean  white  night-dress.  He  sat  down  at  the  head 
of  the  bed,  and  the  two  looked  at  each  other  in  amaze- 
ment ;  under  the  pretext  of  feeling  of  her  pulse,  he 
pressed  her  hand  long  and  tenderly.  La  briyadiera  then 
presented  him  a  bundle  of  clothes,  saying  :  — 

"  Here  you  have  your  son." 

Miguel  took  the  bundle  and  lifted  it  close  to  his  eyes, 
and  saw  a  little  round  red  face  without  a  nose,  its  eyes  shut, 
and  its  forehead  depressed,  and  from  its  comparatively 
enormous  mouth  issued  sounds  that  were  farthest  from 
melodious. 

"  How  ugly  it  is  !  "  he  said  aloud. 

A  cry  of  indignation  escaped  from  every  one  of  the 
women,  even  his  wife. 

"What  an  atrocipus  thing  to  say,  Rivera  ! "  —  "  How  can 
you  imagine  such  a  thing  ! "  —  "  What  makes  you  think  that 
it  is  ugly,  senorito?  "  —  "  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  loveliest 
babies  that  I  ever  saw,  Rivera."  —  "  Do  you  expect  it  at 
this  time  of  its  life  to  have  perfect  features  ?  " 

"Give  it  here,  give  it  here!"  said  la  brigadiera, 
snatching  it  from  his  hands. 

"That  is  the  kind  of  flowers  that  you  give  the  poor 
little  creature ! " 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  kind  of  a  thing  you  were 
two  hours  after  you  were  born,  senorito,"  exclaimed 
Juana. 

Miguel,  not  feeling  any  indignation  at  this  lack  of  re- 
spect, replied  :  — 

"  Most  beautiful !" 

' '  How  you  must  have  changed  for  the  worse  since 
then !  "  retorted  the  countess,  laughing. 

"  Not  so  very  much,  senora,  not  so  very  much;  I  am 
certain  that  my  wife  will  quite  agree  with  me." 


MAXIMINA.  213 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Maximina,  making  a  face  to  express 
her  vexation. 

"Maximina ! " 

"  Then  why  did  you  call  him  ugly?  " 

"  I  see  that  this  young  gentleman  has  wholly  driven  me 
out  of  my  place  !  " 

Meanwhile  the  bundle  was  passing  from  hand  to  hand, 
not  without  all  the  time  emitting  more  and  more  energetic 
protests  against  such  an  unwelcome  journey.  But  this 
same  helpless  desperation  was  the  very  thing  that  gave 
the  most  delight  to  those  excellent  women ;  they  died 
with  laughter  to  behold  that  poor  little  mouth  open  even 
to  the  throat,  and  that  expressive  and  desperate  waving 
of  little  hands  filled  with  threats. 

"Come,  come  !  what  lungs  you  have,  child  !" 

"It  is  perfectly  delightful!  cheer  up,  man  alive,  cheer 
up  !  What  a  waste  of  genius,  little  pet !  " 

"  What  a  monkey-face  it  makes  when  it  cries  ! " 

To  tell  the  truth,  it  was  horrible. 

"  Oh  !  it  is  stopping,  senora !  oh !  it  is  stopping  !  "  cried 
Placida. 

All  the  women  gathered  around  it,  in  affright. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  it  is  stopping  ?  "  demanded  Miguel, 
leaping  from  his  chair. 

"  It  has  stopped  crying,  senorito  !  " 

The  baby,  with  its  face  drawn  up  and  its  mouth  open, 
made  no  sound.  The  countess  shook  it  with  all  her 
might  till  she  almost  murdered  it :  finally  the  infant 
emitted  a  scream  more  excruciating  than  ever,  and  all 
the  women  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"Come  now;  we  must  give  this  little  rascal  to  his 
mamma ;  if  he  does  not  get  something  to  eat,  he  will  be 
angry  with  us." 

"How  can  that  baby  know  enough  to  be  angry?" 
thought  Miguel. 


214  MAX1MINA. 

They  put  it  in  the  bed,  and  held  its  mouth  to  the  mater- 
nal fount,  but  it  refused,  we  cannot  tell  under  what  pre- 
text, to  take  the  breast,  and  this  conduct  the  women 
found  very  extraordinary.  Maximina  looked  at  him 
with  stern  eyes,  mentally  giving  him  most  terrible  denun- 
ciations. The  countess  asked  for  sugar  and  water,  and 
with  that  anointed  the  breast ;  then  the  child,  won  by 
this  most  delicate  attention,  no  longer  hesitated  to  yield 
to  the  desires  of  all  the  seiioras,  and  began  to  suckle  with 
little  haste  —  like  an  apprentice,  in  fact  —  in  the  operation. 

"  Just  see  what  a  cunning  little  rascal  he  is  !  " 

"  Ave  Maria!  it  seems  incredible  that  it  can  have  such 
a  temper !  " 

"  Such  a  thing  as  that  you  never  saw  in  your  life 
before,  woman ! " 

"  He  is  a  perfect  little  villain  !  " 

After  this  performance,  the  baby  proposed  to  do  all  in 
his  power  to  confirm  this  favorable  opinion  that  had  been 
formed  of  his  genius.  In  fact  he  opened  his  right  eye 
just  the  least  wee  bit,  and  immediately  shut  it  again,  to 
the  great  astonishment  and  delight  of  all  present ;  then 
accidentally  getting  his  own  hand  into  his  mouth,  he  began 
to  suck  at  it  with  all  his  might.  Not  satisfied  with  this 
gallant  exhibition  of  his  talents,  he  proved  it  still  more 
completely  when  Placida  put  her  finger  into  his  mouth ; 
in  an  instant  he  was  furiousby  sucking  at  that  also  ;  but 
quickly  becoming  aware  of  the  deception  practised  upon 
him,  he  became  furiously  angry,  and  gave  it  to  be  under- 
stood, with  sufficient  clearness,  that  whenever  there  was 
any  attempt  to  lower  his  dignity,  they  would  see  him 
always  protest  in  the  same  or  similar  fashion. 

When  he  was  put  back  into  bed  again,  he  fell  asleep  in 
a  moment,  and  "  slept  like  a  bishop"  (that  was  Juana's 
simile),  while  his  mother  from  time  to  time  lifted  the 


MAXIMINA.  215 

coverlid  to  look  at  him,  with  not  only  tenderness,  but  also 
childish  curiosity.  Miguel  having  rather  carelessly  leaned 
on  the  bed,  she  thought  that  he  was  going  to  hurt  the 
child. 

"  Look  out !  look  out !  "  she  cried  in  choleric  tone. 

And  she  gave  him  such  an  indignant  look  that  the 
young  man  was  amazed,  since  it  was  beyond  the  power  of 
his  imagination  to  conceive  those  sweet  eyes  having  such 
an  expression. 

Instead  of  being  grieved,  he  began  to  laugh  like  a 
madman.  Maximina  was  mortified,  but  smiled,  and  her 
innocent  face  regained  the  expression  of  lovely  calm  so 
peculiar  to  it. 

Unfortunately,  her  calm  was  quickly  disturbed  in  a 
most  unexpected  way.  It  happened  that  after  the 
"  bishop"  had  waked  up,  the  feminine  council  conceived 
certain  suspicions  that  his  illustrious  highness  needed 
some  attention,  and  an  ocular  inspection  was  forthwith 
ordered.  The  countess  found  that  it  was  even  as  they 
had  thought.  Then  with  admirable  grace  and  no  little 
satisfaction  she  began  to  change  the  infant. 

But  at  this  juncture,  la  brigadiera,  who  had  been  stead- 
ily growing  jealous  of  the  countess  for  some  time  and 
had  solemnly,  though  in  an  undertone,  declared  in  the 
hearing  of  the  maids  that  "that  worthy  senora  was  a 
tiresome  busybody,"  now  declared  in  a  rather  peevish 
tone  that  the  bandage  ought  not  to  be  put  on  as  tight  as 
the  countess  had  put  it  on. 

"Let  me  alone,  Angela,  let  me  alone!  I  know  well 
enough  how  to»  do  it,"  said  the  countess,  with  a  certain 
accent  of  self-sufficiency,  continuing  in  her  task. 

"  But  if  it  is  left  that  way,  the  little  thing  won't  be 
able  to  breathe,  countess." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  any  one  teaching  me  about  dress- 


216  MAXIMINA. 

ing  infants  :  I  have  had  six  children,  and,  thank  God,  they 
are  all  alive  in  the  world,  safe  and  sound." 

"Well,  I  have  never  had  but  one  daughter,  but  I 
should  never  have  consented  for  her  to  be  swaddled  in 
that  way ! " 

' '  But  I  tell  you  that  I  do  not  need  lessons  from  you, 
not  in  this  nor  in  anything  else.  ..." 

The  words  which  had  passed  were  beginning  to  be  very 
sharp,  and  the  angry  glances  which  the  two  ladies  gave 
each  other  made  it  apparent  that  there  would  soon  be  a 
crisis.  Those  who  were  present  at  the  scene  grew  very 
grave  ;  Maximina,  startled,  looked  as  though  she  were  go- 
ing to  cry.  Then  Miguel,  vexed  by  the  whole  proceed- 
ing, interfered,  saying,  gently  but  firmly  :  — 

"Ladies,  please  have  some  consideration  for  this  poor 
girl,  who  now  needs  calm  and  rest." 

The  Countess  de  Losilla  arose  stiffly,  handed  the  infant 
to  a  maid,  and  sailed  out  of  the  room,  without  saying  a 
word.  Miguel  followed  her,  but  in  spite  of  all  his  en- 
treaties, she  utterly  refused  to  return  ;  on  the  other  hand, 
her  anger  grew  more  and  more  violent  as  she  went 
toward  the  door,  and  there  she  said  iladi6s"  very 
curtly,  and  went  up  to  her  room,  apparently  with  the  inten- 
tion of  never  coming  down  again. 

"  This  mamma  of  mine  always  has  to  put  her  foot  into 
it !  What  a  lack  of  tact  she  has  !  "  he  exclaimed,  when 
he  was  left  alone. 

But  all  his  annoyance  quickly  vanished  from  his  mind, 
owing  to  the  happy  and  exceptional  circumstances  in 
which  he  found  himself.  . 

It  was  God's  design,  however,  that  a  few  drops  of  gall 
should  be  mingled  in  the  cup  of  his  happiness.  In  the 
evening,  when,  wearied  by  the  commotion  of  the  day,  he 
was  just  preparing  to  go  to  bed,  leaving  Pldcida  to  watch 


MAXIMINA.  217 

with  his  wife,  he  heard  an  importunate  ring  at  the  door- 
bell. 

"Senorito,  there  is  a  gentleman  here  who  is  anxious  to 
speak  with  you." 

"Confound  the  impertinent  visit!  Have  }-ou  shown 
him  into  the  study  ?  " 

"  Yes,  senorito." 

Our  new  papa  went  there,  taking  his  own  time,  and  per- 
fectly resolved  that  it~should  not  be  a  long  call.  But  on 
entering  the  study,  he  had  a  not  altogether  agreeable  sur- 
prise in  finding  Eguiburu,  the  "  white  horse"  of  La  In- 
dependencia. 

The  relationship  which  he  enjoyed  with  this  gentleman 
was  not  very  intimate.  Since  he  had  given  his  endorse- 
ment, guaranteeing  the  thirty  thousand  duros  which  had 
been  spent  on  the  newspaper,  he  had  seen  him  only  twice, 
to  receive  from  his  hand  two  sums  amounting  to  twelve 
thousand,  which  had  not  been  wholly  spent  on  the  paper, 
but  had  also  been  used  in  assisting  the  emigrados.  This 
unseasonable  visit  therefore  reminded  him  of  these  things, 
and  made  him  anxious  and  suspicious. 

Eguiburu  was  a  tall,  lean  man,  with  pale  and  wrinkled 
face,  small  blue  eyes,  thinnish  red  hair,  and  very  inele- 
gant in  his  whole  person.  The  clothes  that  he  wore  — 
tight-fitting  trousers  of  black  serge,  large  vest,  and  an 
enormous  gray  overcoat  reaching  to  his  very  heels  —  did 
not  tend  to  give  any  additional  elegance  to  his  appear- 
ance. 

Miguel  greeted  him  courteously  and  gravely,  and  asked 
him  to  what  he  owed  the  honor  of  his  visit.  .  .  . 

"  Senor  de  Rivera,"  said  Eguiburu,  unceremoniously 
taking  a  chair  —  Miguel,  in  his  surprise,  having  neglected 
to  ask  him  to  do  so  —  "  it  happens  that  now  for  several 
months  you  have  been  in  power.  ..." 


218  MAXIMINA. 

"  Hold  on,  my  friend ;  there  is  no  one  in  Spain  further 
from  being  in  power  than  I.  ...  I  am  not  even  under- 
secretary." 

"  Well,  well ;  when  I  say  '  you,'  I  mean  your  friends  ; 
they  all  at  the  present  time  occupy  great  positions  :  the 
Count  de  Rios,  ambassador ;  Senor  Mendoza  has  just 
been  elected  deputy.  .  .  ." 

"  And  do  you  think  of  comparing  me,  an  insignificant 
pigmy,  with  the  Count  de  Rios  and  Mendoza,  two  stars 
of  the  first  magnitude  in  Spanish  politics  ?  " 

"  Now,  see  here  ;  Senor  de  Rivera,  to  tell  the  truth,  the 
other  night  in  the  Levante  Cafe",  Senor  de  Mendoza  was 
not  spoken  well  of,  even  by  his  own  friends." 

"What  did  they  say?" 

"They  said,  —  begging  your  pardon,  —  that  he  was 
light  as  a  cork." 

"Those  are  the  calumnies  of  the  envious.  Don't  imag- 
ine, friend  Eguiburu,  that  statesmen  are  made  of  such 
stuff." 

"I  am  very  glad  that  such  is  the  case,  senor.  But  the 
truth  is  that,  in  spite  of  their  talents  and  the  positions 
that  they  hold,  neither  the  Senor  Conde  de  Rios  nor  Men- 
doza are  remembering  to  make  good  to  me  the  money  that 
I  have  been  spending  for  them." 

"  Have  you  spoken  to  them?  " 

"  I  have  written  a  letter  to  each  of  them.  Mendoza 
did  not  reply ;  the  Senor  Conde,  after  the  lapse  of  con- 
siderable time,,  tells  me  in  a  letter,  which  I  have  with  me, 
and  you  can  see,  '  that  the  very  serious  political  duties 
that  weigh  upon  him  do  not  permit  him  at  present  to 
attend  to  such  things  as  these,  which  have  for  some  time 
been  intrusted  to  his  former  private  secretary,  Senor 
Mendoza  y.Pimentel.'  Of  course,  as  you  very  well  know, 
I  have  no  need  of  begging  from  door  to  door  for  what 


MAXIMINA.  219 

is  my  own.     And  so,  without  further  delay,  I  have  come 
directly  to  you." 

"  Why  did  you  not  go  to  Mendoza  first?  " 

Eguiburu  hung  his  head,  and  began  to  twirl  his  hat ;  at 
the  same  time  he  smiled  much  as  a  marble  statue  might 
have  done  if  it  had  the  power. 

"  Senor  de  Mendoza  seems  to  me  to  have  very  little 
flesh  for  my  claws  !  " 

On  hearing  these  words,  and  seeing  the  smile  that  ac- 
companied them,  Miguel  felt  a  chill  run  down  his  back, 
and  he  made  no  reply.  At  the  end  of  a  few  moments  he 
looked  up,  and  said  in  a  firm  voice  :  — 

"In  other  words,  you  have  come  to  dun  me  for  those 
thirty  thousand  duros  \  Is  that  so  ?  " 

"I  feel  it  in  my  soul,  Senor  de  Rivera  ...  be  con- 
vinced that  I  really  do  ...  for  it  is  certainly  not  to  be 
gainsaid  that  you  have  not  eaten  them." 

"Thanks !  you  have  a  sensitive  spirit,  and  I  congratu- 
late you  on  it.  Unfortunately  I  cannot  reciprocate  this 
delicacy  of  feelings  by  handing  over  the  thirty  thousand 
duros." 

"  Ver}-  well ;  but  you  will  hand  them  over ! " 

"Have  you  any  security  for  it?" 

Eguiburu  lifted  his  head,  and  fixed  his  little  blue  eyes  on 
Miguel,  vrlio  looked  at  him  in  a  cool  and  hostile  manner. 

"  Yes,  senor,"  he  replied. 

"  Then  I  congratulate  you  again  ;  I  did  not  know  that 
you  could  have  it." 

"Don't  you  remember,  Senor  de  Rivera,"  said  the 
banker,  with  amiability  exaggerated  in  order  to  palliate 
the  unpleasant  effect  that  his  words  were  about  to  pro- 
duce, "  I  have  here  a  paper  endorsed  with  your  name?  ", 

And  as  he  said  this  he  raised  his  hand  to  his  overcoat 
pocket. 


220  MAXIMINA. 

Again  Miguel  kept  silence.  At  the  end  of  a  few  mo- 
ments he  spoke  in  a  voice  in  which  could  be  detected 
anger  scarcely  repressed  :  — 

"That  is  to  say,  Senor  de  Eguiburu,  that  you  propose 
nothing  else  than  to  ruin  me  on  account  of  a  debt,  which, 
as  is  evident  to  }*ou,  I  have  not  contracted." 

"  I  propose  merely  to  make  sure  of  my  money." 

"That  is  all  right,"  said  Miguel,  in  a  choking  voice; 
"  to-morrow  I  will  write  to  the  Count  de  Rios,  and  will 
also  see  Mendoza ;  I  should  like  to  know  if  the  count  is 
capable  of  leaving  me  in  the  lurch.  ...  If  that  should 
be  so,  then  we  will  see  what  is  to  be  done." 

After  these  words  there  was  a  period  of  embarrassed 
silence.  Eguiburu  twisted  his  hat,  looking  askance  at. 
Miguel,  who  kept  his  e\-es  fastened  on  the  floor,  while 
his  lips  showed  an  almost  imperceptible  tremor,  which 
did  not  escape  the  banker's  notice. 

"There  is  one  wa}',  Senor  de  Rivera,"  he  suggested 
timidly,  "by  which  you  can  get  out  of  the  difficulty  in 
which  you  find  yourself,  and  still  have  time  to  obtain 
from  the  count  and  the  other  friends  the  fulfilment  of 
their  obligations.  ...  If  you  will  guarantee  me  the 
money  which  I  have  since  spent  on  the  newspaper,  I 
shall  be  perfectly  willing  to  wait.  ...  I  am  sorry  to 
put  the  pistol  to  the  heart  of  a  person  for  whom  I  have 
so  high  a  regard,  but  ..." 

Miguel  remained  motionless,  with  his  eyes  cast  down, 
and  thinking  deeply ;  then  suddenly  standing  up,  he 
said :  — 

"Well,  we  will  see  how  this  affair  turns  out.  I  will 
speak  to-morrow  with  Mendoza,  and  immediately  let  you 
know  the  result  of  my  interview,  and  of  my  letter  to  the 
-count." 

Eguiburu  likewise  arose,  and  with  exquisite  amiability 


MAXIMINA.  221 

offered  Rivera  his  band  in  farewell.  Miguel  shook  hands, 
and  looking  at  him  keenly,  while  a  derisive  smile  hovered 
over  his  lips,  he  said :  — 

"Are  you  very  anxious  for  those  thirty  thousand 
duros  ?  " 

"Why  do  you  ask  me?" 

"Because  I  should  be  grieved  if  you  were  very  much 
set  upon  them,  while  on  the  eve  of  losing  them  forever." 

"Explain  yourself!"  said  the  banker,  growing  serious. 

"  Nothing,  man  ;  but  if  I  should  not  get  the  money  from 
the  Conde  de  Rios,  what  I  have  ..." 

' '  Hey  !     What  is  that  you  say  ?  " 

' '  That  I  should  never  in  the  world  be  able  to  pay  for 
it,  for  the  two  houses  which  constitute  my  fortune  are 
mortgaged.  ..." 

Eguiburu  became  terribly  pale. 

"You  could  not  mortgage  them  because  I  have  your 
endorsement  for  an  obligation  :  the  mortgage  is  null." 

"They  were  mortgaged  long  before  the  endorsement." 

The  banker  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead  in  de- 
spair ;  then  straightening  up  quickly,  and  giving  Rivera 
a  crushing  look,  he  stammered  — 

"Tha-that  is  ...  a  p-piece  of  rascality.  ...  I  will 
have  you  up  in  c-court  as  a  swindler." 

Miguel  burst  into  a  laugh,  and  laying  his  hand  famil- 
iarly on  the  man's  shoulder,  he  said  :  — 

"That  gave  you  a  good  scare,  didn't  it?  Now  I  am 
somewhat  repaid  for  the  one  that  you  just  gave  me." 

"  But  what  the  deuce  does  this  mean?  ..." 

"  Calm  yourself  ;  my  houses  are  not  mortgaged.  You 
will  have  the  pleasure  of  ruining  me  on  the  day  least  ex- 
pected," replied  the  young  man,  with  bitter  irony. 

The  symptom  of  a  smile  seemed  to  be  coming  into 
Eguiburu's  face,  but  it  suddenly  vanished  again :  — 


222  MAXIMINA. 

"  Are  you  in  earnest?" 

"Yes,  man,  yes  ;  don't  have  any  apprehension." 

Then  the  smile  that  had  vanished  once  more  appeared, 
insinuating  and  benevolent,  on  the  money  lender's  lips." 

"  What  a  joker  you  are,  Sefior  de  Rivera !  No  one  can 
ever  tell  whether  you  are  in  earnest  or  joking." 

"  Then  you  are  certainly  very  wrong  to  be  so  calm  at 
this  moment." 

Eguiburu  grew  serious  again  :  — 

"  No  !  I  cannot  believe  that  you  would  jest  on  matters 
so  ...  so  ..." 

"  So  sacred,  yon  mean?" 

"  That  is  it  —  so  sacred." 

"  However,  you  will  confess  that  }'ou  haven't  the  papers 
with  you." 

"Certainly  not;  you  are  a  talented  man  .  .  .  and  a 
perfect  gentleman  besides.  ..." 

"  Come  now  ;  don't  flatter  me  ;  there  is  no  need  of  it." 

They  went  to  the  door,  talking  as  they  went.  Egui- 
buru felt  an  anxiety  that  he  tried  in  vain  to  hide ;  he 
gave  his  hand  three  or  four  times  to  Rivera ;  his  face  and 
attitude  changed  more  than  a  score  of  times,  and  when 
Miguel  told  him  to  put  on  his  hat,  he  placed  it,  all  twisted 
and  rumpled,  on  the  back  of  his  head.  He  tried  to  change 
the  conversation  to  prove  that  he  was  perfectly  convinced 
of  the  good  word  of  his  surety.  He  asked  him  with  much 
interest  about  his  wife  and  the  baby,  taking  great  pains 
to  inquire  about  the  details  of  the  occurrence.  Neverthe- 
less, when  he  was  already  on  the  stairway,  and  Miguel 
was  just  about  to  close  the  door,  he  asked  in  an  indiffer- 
ent and  jovial  tone,  and  }'et  betraying  keen  anxiety  :  — 

" Then  that  was  merely  a  joke,  was  it,  Rivera?" 

"Have  no  anxiety  about  it,  man!"  replied  Miguel, 
laughing. 


MAXIMINA.  223 

But  as  soon  as  he  was  left  alone,  the  laugh  died  on  his 
lips ;  he  stood  for  a  moment  with  his  fingers  on  the  latch  ; 
then  he  went  with  slow  step  back  to  his  study,  sat  down 
at  the  table,  and  leaned  his  head  on  his  hand,  with  his 
eyes  covered.  Thus  he  sat  a  long  time  in  thought.  When 
he  got  up,  the}'  were  swollen  and  red  as  though  he  had 
slept  too  long.  He  went  to  his  wife's  room  ;  as  he  passed 
through  the  corridor  he  felt  a  little  chill. 

She  was  still  awake.  Beside  the  bed  a  cot  had  been 
placed  for  Placida. 

"  Who  was  your  visitor?  "  she  asked. 

"It  was  no  consequence;  a  man  came  to  speak  with 
me  about  the  paper." 

There  must  have  been  something  peculiar  in  Miguel's 
voice  in  making  this  simple  reply,  for  his  wife  looked  at 
him  anxiously  for  some  time.  To  free  himself  from  this 
scrutiny,  he  went  on  to  say  :  — 

"  How  rested  I  am ;  I  had  a  nap." 

He  kissed  her  forehead,  then  lifted  the  spread,  contem- 
plated for  a  moment  his  sleeping  son,  and  touched  his 
lips  to  the  little  head ;  then  he  kissed  his  wife  again,  and 
left  the  room.  When  he  went  to  bed  he  shivered,  and 
nevertheless  felt  that  his  cheeks  were  on  fire. 

For  a  long  time  he  lay  in  bed,  with  his  eyes  wide  open 
and  the  lamp  lighted.  A  throng  of  melancholy  thoughts 
passed  through  his  mind ;  a  thousand  forebodings  and 
fears  attacked  him.  Like  all  men  of  keen  imagination, 
he  leaped  to  the  worst  conclusions ;  he  saw  himself 
ruined,  obliged  with  his  wife  to  leave  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  move :  he  also  re- 
membered his  son. 

"  My  poor  boy  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

And  he  was  on  the  point  of  sobbing ;  but  he  made  a 
manly  effort  to  control  himself,  saying :  — 


224  MAXIMINA. 

"No!  weep  for  lost  money?  Such  things  are  done 
only  by  fools  and  misers.  A  man  who  has  a  wife  like 
mine,  and  a  son  such  as  she  has  just  given  me,  has  no 
right  to  ask  anything  more  of  God.  I  am  3-oung  ;  I  have 
good  health ;  if  worse  comes  to  worst,  I  can  work  for 
them." 

As  he  murmured  these  words,  he  gave  a  violent  puff  to 
the  light,  and  had  sufficient  self-control  to  calm  himself, 
and  was  soon  asleep. 


XVII. 

ON  the  following  morning,  as  soon  as  he  was  dressed, 
and  after  spending  by  his  wife's  side  a  much  shorter  time 
than  circumstances  required,  he  left  the  house  and  has- 
tened to  Mendoza's. 

Mendoza  at  this  time  was  lodging  at  one  of  the  best 
and  most  central  hotels  of  Madrid.  When  Miguel  reached 
there,  he  was  still  asleep.  Nevertheless,  he  went  to  his 
room,  and  took  it  upon  himself  to  open  the  shutters  like 
a  friend  whose  familiarity  was  limitless. 

"  Hold!  I  see  that  you  sleep  just  the  same  as  when  you 
were  not  a  great  man." 

Mendoza  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looked  at  him  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"What  does  this  mean,  Miguelito?  Why  so  early  in 
the  morning? " 

"  My  dear  Perico,  the  first  thing  that  you  must  do  is  to 
get  rid  of  this  condescending  tone.  When  there  are  people 
present,  I  am  perfectly  willing  for  you  to  condescend, 
and  I  will  call  you  '  most  illustrious  lordship '  if  you  like  ; 
but  when  we  are  alone,  just  remember  that  I  am  not  your 
vassal." 


MAXIMINA.  225 

"  You  are  always  just  the  same,  Miguel,"  replied  Men- 
doza,  a  little  exasperated. 

' '  That  is  the  advantage  that  you  have  over  me  :  I  am 
always  the  same  ;  you  are  always  changing  and  playing 
a  new  and  brilliant  rdle  in  society.  I  am  satisfied,  how- 
ever, with  mine  —  so  satisfied  that  the  fear  of  having  to 
be  different  is  what  brings  me  here  so  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  disturb  your  dreams  of  glory." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"That  having  up  to  the  present  time  been  considered 
a  person  '  well  fixed,'  or,  to  use  the  expressions  affected 
by  us  literary  fellows,  being  an  Hidalgo  of  '  ancient 
stock,'  and  having  'five  hundred  sueldos  guerdon,'  I  — 
but  you  don't  know  what  this  means  ?  " 

"No  !  "  replied  Meudoza,  with  an  impatient  gesture. 

"  Well,  it  is  very  simple.  If  you  should  give  me  a  slap 
(which  I  am  sure  you  will  not),  I  should  get  '  five  hundred 
sueldos  guerdon,'  or  fine.  On  the  other  hand,  if  I  should 
give  you  one  (which  is  perfectly  possible),  there  would 
be  no  need  of  your  spending  a  sou.  .  .  .  Well  then,  hav- 
ing up  to  the  present  time  played  this  rdle  in  society,  I 
should  feel  it  to  the  bottom  of  my  soul  to  be  obliged  to 
try  that  of  the  poverty-stricken  or  the  vagabond,  which  I 
have  never  studied." 

"I  don't  understand  you." 

"I  am  coming  to  the  point.  Last  evening  Eguiburu 
presented  himself  at  my  house,  and  without  any  preamble 
demanded  of  me  the  thirty  thousand  duros  which  have 
been  spent  on  La  Independencia,  and  which  I  guaran- 
teed, yielding  to  your  entreaties.  ...  Do  you  under- 
stand now  ?  " 

Brutandor  said  nothing  for  several  moments,  remain- 
ing in  an  attitude  of  meditation ;  then  he  said,  with  the 
solemn  deliberation  which  characterized  all  his  remarks  :  — 


226  MAXIM  IN  A. 

"I  believe  this  amount  should  be  paid,  not  by  you,  but 
by  the  Count  de  Rios." 

"Ah!  you  think  so,  do  you?  Then  I  am  saved.  As 
soon  as  Eguiburu  knows  this  opinion,  I  am  certain  that  he 
will  not  venture  to  ask  a  cuarto  of  me." 

"If  it  were  taken  from  you,  it  would  be  robbery." 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  that  the  immutable  principles 
of  natural  law  have  not  vanished  from  your  mind.  .  But 
you  know  that  the  actual  law  is  on  his  side ;  and  if,  per- 
chance, it  should  enter  into  his  head  to  make  use  of  law 
instead  of  equity,  I  want  to  know  if  you  would  have  the 
heart  to  let  him  ruin  me." 

Miguel  had  grown  very  serious,  and  looked  at  his  friend 
with  that  cold  and  hard  expression  which  was  always  in 
his  case  a  sign  of  repressed  anger.  Mendoza  dropped  his 
eyes,  in  confusion. 

"I  should  feel  very  sorry  to  have  an}'  misfortune  hap- 
pen to  you,  Miguel." 

"The  question  now  is  not  about  your  feelings.  What 
I  want  to  know  this  instant  is,  if  the  general  is  ready  to 
pay  this  sum." 

"I  think  that  the  general  has  no  other  desire.  .  .  ." 

"Nor  is  the  question  about  the  general's  desires.  I 
want  to  know  —  do  you  hear?  —  I  want  to  know  if  he  will 
pay  the  thirty  thousand  duros,  or  will  not  pay  them." 

' '  I  shall  have  to  write  him :  you  know  he  is  in  Ger- 
many just  now." 

"The  point  is,  that  if  he  does  not  pay  it,  I  will  take  it 
into  court.  I  have  letters  from  him  acknowledging  the 
debt,"  said  Miguel,  striding  in  a  state  of  excitement  up 
and  down  the  room. 

Mendoza  allowed  him  to  do  so  for  some  time,  and  then 
replied :  — 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Miguel,  that  you  ought  not  to  be  in 


MAXIMINA.  227 

too  great  a  hurry  to  do  this  or  look  on  the  dark  side  ;  3'ou 
won't  get  ahead  any  that  way." 

""What  makes  }-ou  say  that?"  retorted  the  brigadier's 
son,  halting. 

"  You  would  get  nothing  by  taking  it  to  court." 

"Why  so?" 

' '  Because  the  general  has  no  fortune :  all  that  he  has 
is  in  his  wife's  name." 

Miguel's  eyes  flamed  with  anger. 

"The  villain!"  he  muttered  under  his  breath;  and 
then  added:  "I  shall  be  convinced  that  you  are  as  vile 
as  he." 

"  Miguel,  for  God's  sake  !  " 

"  That  is  what  I  have  said.  Take  it  as  you  like.  I 
am  glad  that  it  looks  worse  for  him." 

Mendoza  had  no  wish  nor  courage  to  reply.  He  let 
him  continue  his  walking  up  and  down,  in  the  hope  that 
his  anger  would  calm  down,  and  in  this  he  showed  how 
well  he  knew  his  man.  In  fact,  in  a  few  minutes  he 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  paused  near  the  bed,  and  throw- 
ing his  hands  on  Mendoza's  shoulders  with  a  loving  ges- 
ture, he  said,  laughing  :  — 

"I  have  been  unfair.  I  had  forgotten  that  you  were 
too  much  of  a  rough  diamond  to  be  a  villain." 

Mendoza  was  not  annoyed  by  this  singular  apology. 

"You  are  so  quick-tempered,  Miguel,  that  when  one 
least  thinks  about  it,  you  '  leave  a  man  without  the  blood 
in  his  veins.' " 

"  It  would  be  worse  to  leave  one  without  any  money." 

"  Man  alive  !  you  haven't  lost  it  yet.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  the  matter  will  be  settled  all  right." 

"  Do  you  know  what  plan  Eguiburu  proposed  to  me?" 

"No;  what?" 

"  That  I  should  also  guarantee  the  twelve  thousand 


228  MAXIMINA. 

duros  which  he  has  furnished  besides,  and  then  he  will 
wait." 

Mendoza  made  no  reply.    Both  remained  lost  in  thought. 

"  That  does  not  seem  to  me  such  a  bad  plan,"  said 
the  former,  at  length.  "I  tell  you  frankly  that  at 
present  it  is  impossible  to  get  the  thirty  thousand  duros 
from  the  general ;  I  know  his  affairs  well,  and  am  cer- 
tain that  he  is  not  in  a  situation  to  pay  down  this  amount. 
But  if  it  does  not  come  from  his  private  pocket,  it  may  be 
got  from  the  public  treasury.  I  have  it  on  good  author- 
ity that  the  government  has  already  voted  some  money 
(though  not  any  such  sum  as  this) ,  to  be  spent  on  news- 
papers, and  credited  to  the  secret  funds  of  the  Ministry 
of  the  Government.  The  point  here  is  to  get  influence 
enough  for  the  minister  to  get  hold  of  it." 

"  I  suppose  that  the  general  will  use  all  his." 

"  Of  course.  And  I  will  do  what  I  can.  But  the  gen- 
eral is  not  in  Madrid,  and  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  that 
these  delicate  transactions  cannot  be  managed  through 
correspondence,  or  arranged  in  this  way,  ever.  "We  must 
be  always  on  the  track,  worry  the  minister  with  visits, 
speak  to  all  his  friends,  so  as  to  keep  it  before  his  atten- 
tion, and,  if  it  were  possible,  threaten  him  with  some  sum- 
mons to  the  Cortes  concerning  some  delicate  affair  which 
he  would  not  like  to  have  made  public." 

"  Caramba !  Perico,  you  have  made  great  advances  in 
short  time.  You  understand  wire-pulling  to  the  last  detail." 

"How  so?" 

"  Man  alive  !  certainly  ;  for  it  is  not  this  way  that  it  is 
explained  and  defined  to  us  by  the  treatises." 

Mendoza  shrugged  his  shoulders,  at  the  same  time 
pressing  his  lips  into  a  sign  of  disdain. 

""Well,  then  you  want  to  bring  the  general  back  to 
Madrid?"  added  Miguel. 


MAXIMINA.  229 

"  That  is  impossible." 

"Then  what  shall  we  do?" 

Mendoza  meditated. 

"  If  you  had  been  elected  deputy,  the  thing  would 
be  much  easier.  In  that  case  we  should  be  two  to  ask  the 
minister,  who,  looking  out  for  his  future  interests,  would 
be  much  more  careful  not  to  go  counter  to  us.  .  .  ." 

"  But  as  I  am  not  a  deputy  !  " 

Mendoza  meditated  another  long  time,  and  said  :  — 

"  Still  it  can  all  be  arranged.  The  general,  when  he 
accepted  the  post  of  ambassador,  left  one  district  vacant, 
that  of  Serin,  in  Galicia.  They  will  soon  be  having  the 
second  elections.  If  the  government  will  accept  you  as 
candidate  adicto,  you  are  certain  of  a  triumph." 

Rivera  said  nothing,  and  seemed  also  lost  in  thought. 

"  Hitherto,  Perico,  I  have  never  had  the  least  idea  of 
being  the  father  of  my  country.  You  know  well  that  I 
am  of  no  good  for  kicking  my  heels  in  the  ante-chambers 
of  ministers,  that  I  am  not  one  to  suffer  impertinences 
and  scorn,  nor  have  I  the  talent  for  manoauvriug  plots, 
nor  the  audacity  for  meddling  in  dark  intrigues.  I  am 
so  constituted  that  a  cool  look  wounds  me,  a  discourteous 
word  annoys  me,  any  disloyalty  crushes  and  overwhelms 
me.  I  am  incapable  of  giving  my  word  and  not  fulfilling 
it ;  I  have  not  sufficient  calmness  to  keep  cool  when 
brought  into  contact  with  the  sympathy  and  love,  or  the 
aversion,  which  men  inspire  in  me.  I  get  excited  and  lose 
my  head  with  excessive  ease,  and  under  the  influence  of 
anger  I  speak  out  the  first  word  that  comes  into  my 
mind,  however  dangerous  it  is.  Moreover,  I  have  the 
misfortune  of  always  seeing  the  comic  side  of  things,  and 
I  have  not  sufficient  strength  of  mind  to  repress  myself 
and  to  refrain  from  saying  what  I  think.  Politicians, 
when  the}*  are  not  knaves  worthy  of  jail,  seem  to  me, 


230  MAXIMINA. 

with  a  few  honorable  exceptions,  a  herd  of  vulgar,  igno- 
rant men  who  have  taken  up  this  occupation  as  the  easiest 
and  most  lucrative  ;  many  of  them  village  intriguers  who 
come  to  repeat  in  Congress  the  same  trickeries  which  they 
have  been  practising  in  the  Ayuntamiento  1  or  the  Diputa- 
ci6n;2  others,  men  who  have  failed  in  literature,  the 
sciences,  and  the  arts,  and  not  getting  there  the  notoriety 
that  they  crave,  seek  it  in  the  more  accessible  field  of 
politics :  a  young  man  whose  drama  has  been  hissed  off 
the  stage  ;  another,  who  has  tried  five  or  six  times  in  vain 
to  get  a  professorship ;  another,  who  has  written  various 
books  that  remain  virgins  and  martyrs  on  the  publishers' 
shelves,  —  these  are  the  ones  who,  making  their  way  into 
the  Hall  of  Congress,  where  no  one  is  judged  by  his 
merits,  and  rallying  under  the  standard  of  some  person- 
age who  began  as  they  did,  climb  to  lofty  destinies,  and 
as  time  goes  on,  come  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
.  .  .  But  I  have  become  too  serious,"  he  added,  lowering 
his  voice  and  smiling.  "The  principal  argument  that  I 
bring  up  against  dedicating  myself  to  political  life,  — I  will 
tell  it  to  you  as  a  secret,  —  is,  that  I  detest  it ;  I  detest  it 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  Nevertheless,  as  I  am 
threatened  with  ruin,  I  am  determined  to  enter  it  to 
restore  my  fortunes,  which  I  was  foolish  enough  to  com- 
promise." 

Brutandor  looked  at  him  with  wide-opened  eyes :  any 
one  can  imagine,  knowing  the  tendency  of  his  mind,  that 
Miguel  spoke  a  language  entirely  incomprehensible  to 
him. 

When  he  ended,  the  newly  elected  deputy  impercep- 
tibly shrugged  his  shoulders  and  puckered  his  mouth  into 
that  look  very  common  to  him,  one  that  made  it  hard  to 

1  Ayuntamiento,  municipal  council  in  Spanish  towns. 

2  Diputaci6n  provincial,  district  assembly. 


MAXIMINA.  231 

tell  whether  it  meant  indifference  or  disdain  or  surprise 
or  resignation.  Miguel  used  to  maintain  that  his  friend 
Mendoza  was  able  to  understand  only  eleven  things  in 
this  world :  when  anything  distinct  from  the  eleven  was 
said,  instead  of  answering,-  he  made  the  face  spoken  of, 
and  gave  it  to  be  understood  that  there  the  matter  ended. 

"Well,"  said  he,  noticing  that  face,  "to  do  this  you 
must  introduce  me  to  the  government  ministry." 

"  I  will  introduce  you  to  the  President  of  the  Council. 
I  am  better  acquainted  with  him  than  with  Escalante." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  Escalante  is  not  congenial  to 
me,  and  at  all  events  I  don't  know  the  President.  Do  you 
want  to  go  this  afternoon  to  the  Presidency  ?  " 

Mendoza  looked  at  him  in  amazement. 

"  But  don't  you  know  that  I  am  going  to  speak  to-day 
in  Congress  ?  " 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  fellow  ;  I  don't  know  a  single  word 
about  it.  And  what  are  you  going  to  speak  about?" 

"About  tariff  reform.  It  is  the  first  speech  that  I 
shall  have  made.  Hitherto  I  have  only  put  inquiries." 

"Don't  be  so  modest,  Perico ;  I  happen  to  know  that 
you  have  presented  a  report  concerning  the  citizens  of 
Valdeorras,  without  flinching  or  anything  coming  of  it." 

"  Don't  you  laugh  ;  the  danger  to-day  is  very  serious." 

"  Terrible !  .  .  .  Especially  for  the  taxes.  .  .  .  And 
when  are  you  to  be  married  ?  " 

Mendoza  looked  down  and  flushed. 

"  On  the  fifteenth." 

"  I  am  delighted  that  you  are  entering  into  the  good 
path,"  said  Miguel,  noticing  Mendoza's  mortification,  and 
generously  trying  to  spare  him. 

"  Come,  get  up,  man ;  it  is  already  almost  eleven 
o'clock." 

"  You  will  breakfast  with  me,  won't  you?" 


232  MAXIMINA. 

"My  dear  fellow,  you  must  know  that  to-day  is  an 
exceptional  day  for  me  !  " 

"  Of  course  I  know  it ;  but  then  we  will  go  together  to 
Congress ;  and  perhaps,  if  the  session  is  over  in  time,  we 
might  go  to  the  presidency."  - 

This  last  suggestion  pleased  Miguel,  because  he  saw 
clearly  that  his  thirt}*  thousand  duros  depended  on  the 
influence  that  he  might  gain  over.  After  thinking  a  little, 
he  said  :  — 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  send  a  message  to  my  wife,  so  that 
she  will  not  be  worried." 

He  sat  down  at  Mendoza's  table,  while  the  latter  was 
dressing,  and  dashed  off  a  few  lines  to  Maximina.  While 
writing  them,  he  could  not  help  saying  in  a  tone  of 
grief :  — 

"  Strange  circumstances  that  oblige  me  to  leave  my 
wife  alone  on  the  day  after  she  has  presented  me  with  a 
son  !  Nevertheless,  it  is  for  her  and  for  him  that  I  do  it. 
If  I  were  a  bachelor,  it  would  not  make  much  difference  if 
I  were  ruined." 

After  he  was  dressed,  and  before  they  went  down  into  the 
dining-room,  Mendoza  showed  his  friend  the  jewels  that 
he  was  going  to  present  to  his  "future."  They  were 
magnificent  and  in  the  latest  style.  Miguel  praised  them 
as  they  deserved,  at  the  same  time  wondering  where  Perico 
had  got  the  money  to  buy  them  ;  and  though  he  was  much 
tempted  to  ask  him,  he  had  the  delicacy  not  to  do  so. 

Then  they  went  down  to  a  private  room  on  the  entresol 
floor,  where  Brutandor  was  in  the  habit  of  breakfasting 
alone.  The  waiter  served  them  a  remarkably  fine  break- 
fast, among  other  things,  Burgundy  and  champagne 
frappe  for  dessert. 

"  This  is  extravagant,  Perico,"  he  said.  "  The  next 
time  I  shall  forbid  your  treating  me  in  such  style." 


MAXIMINA.  233 

"  The  senorito  always  breakfasts  like  this,"  said  the 
waiter,  smiling  with  evident  satisfaction. 

"  Hold!"  exclaimed  Miguel,  in  surprise.  "  Who  could 
have  believed,  Perico,  that  those  heavy  leaders  that  you 
used  to  write  in  La  Independencia  would  have  been  so 
quickly  coined  into  oysters,  fillets  of  veal,  and  Burgundy  !" 

Brutandor  dropped  his  head,  and  there  are  reasons  for 
belief  that  the  precursory  symptoms  of  a  smile  appeared 
in  his  face.  However,  if  any  one  should  be  inclined  to 
deny  it,  there  would  not  fail  to  be  arguments  in  support 
of  such  an  opinion.  Mendoza's  smiles  always  gave  room 
for  dispute. 

After  breakfast  they  betook  themselves  to  Congress, 
not,  however,  without  the  Amphitryon  first  hurrying  up 
to  his  room,  and  bringing  down  a  package  of  documents, 
which  proved  to  be  notes  for  his  speech. 

"  Maria  Santisima  I "  cried  Miguel.  "  How  calm  and 
undisturbed  are  the  poor  deputies  who  at  this  moment  are 
without  a  thought  of  the  coming  earthquake  !  " 

They  arrived  in  altogether  too  good  season.  There 
were  but  few  people  in  the  saldn  and  the  lobbies.  Men- 
doza  went  to  join  a  group  of  personages,  grave  and  solemn 
like  himself,  and  began  to  talk  with  them.  When  one 
spoke,  the  others  maintained  a  courteous  silence  ;  there 
might  be  some  question,  however,  whether  they  listened 
very  attentively,  but  there  was  no  room  for  doubt  that 
each  one  listened  to  himself  with  perfect  delight.  Miguel 
joined  a  group  of  journalists  where  tumultuous  gayety 
reigned. 

When  it  was  time  for  the  session  to  begin,  he  went 
with  them  to  the  reporters'  gallery,  which  in  a  short  time 
was  crowded.  Almost  all  the  faces  to  be  seen  there  were 
young,  and  such  a  babel  of  voices  and  disorder  constantly 
prevailed  there  that  it  was  difficult  to  hear. 


234  MAXIMINA. 

In  vain  the  ushers,  with  a  familiarity  that  anywhere 
else  would  have  been  called  insolence,  warned  and  even 
threatened  them ;  the  reporters  paid  no  attention  to  their 
menaces,  and  when  they  deigned  to  listen,  it  was  merely 
to  reply  with  some  bloodthirsty  witticism  :  if  the  usher  at 
last  became  really  angry,  there  was  sure  to  be  some  one 
who  would  take  the  wind  out  of  his  sails  by  throwing  his 
arms  around  his  neck,  and  promising  him  promotion  "  as 
soon  as  he  came  to  be  minister." 

Some  amused  themselves  by  sharpening  pencils  ;  others, 
by  cutting  up  paper  into  pads ;  others  drew  out  from 
between  vest  and  shirt  enormous  writing-tablets :  one 
would  think  that  it  was  an  orchestra  beginning  to  tune  up. 
Settling  themselves  into  absurd  attitudes,  they  all  talked, 
shouted,  laughed,  fired  repartees  at  each  other,  and  made 
witty  remarks  about  the  deputies  who  were  now  coming 
into  the  large  and  elegant  saldn,  and  casting  sheep's- 
eyes  at  them,  or  rather  the  eyes  of  dying  lambs  asking 
mercy.  As  a  general  thing,  these  were  the  rural  members. 
Those  who  lived  in  Madrid  always  had  some  acquaint- 
ances among  the  journalists,  and  to  these  they  made 
signs  and  winks  from  below,  and  sometimes  sent  cara- 
mels, to  which  the  reporters  would  respond  with  rhymed 
notes. 

"  Look  here,  my  dear :  do  you  know  what  uniform  the 
sub-governors  are  going  to  wear  ?  " 

"The  sub-governors  won't  have  anything  else  than  a 
sub-uniform,"  replied  a  sufficiently  ill-favored  reporter 
named  Inza.  This  same  Inza,  who  was  in  one  corner 
arranging  his  pad,  shortly  after  remarked :  — 

"Ah,  here  comes  Alonso  Ramirez  enveloped  in  the 
skins  of  his  clients." 

The  famous  lawyer  just  at  that  moment  came  in,  wear- 
ing a  magnificent  overcoat  trimmed  with  fur. 


MAXIMINA.  235 

This  jest  has  since  that  time  been  credited  to  a  politi- 
cian by  his  friends,  and  they  would  be  quite  capable  of 
claiming  that  he  wrote  the  Holy  Bible,  if  they  felt  like  it. 

Keen  sallies  passed  from  one  to  another  in  loud  tones, 
and  caused  hearty  laughter,  and  stimulated  the  victim  to 
sharpen  his  wits  so  as  to  reply  with  some  other  joke  still 
more  piquante.  Much  talent  and  still  more  jollity  were 
wasted  in  that  incommodious  gallery. 

"  Do  you  know,  Juanito,  that  you  are  losing  your 
wits?  "  cried  one  young  man  to  another. 

"  What  can  I  do  about  it,  man ;  for  a  week  ago  the 
chief  sent  me  to  the  Academy  of  Moral  and  Political 
Sciences  ?  " 

From  time  to  time  hot  disputes  came  up  on  subjects 
most  absurd  or  foreign  to  the  profession  of  the  dispu- 
tant ;  for  instance,  about  the  method  of  loading  needle- 
guns  or  driving  carriages. 

And  they  would  gabble  and  get  angry  until  the  ushers 
compelled  them  to  stop,  or  some  opportune  joke  from  a 
comrade  would  bring  them  to  their  senses. 

The  President  mounted  his  lofty  seat ;  instantly  he  was 
surrounded  by  a  group  of  deputies,  to  whom  he  began  with 
paternal  solicitude  to  offer  an  abundant  supply  of  cara- 
mels. 

These  caramels,  which  at  that  time  did  not  cost  the 
State  more  than  five  hundred  duros  a  day,  are  an  insti- 
tution, the  history  of  which  has  unfortunately  been  very 
much  neglected.  Nothing  more  useful  can  be  imagined 
than  to  study  the  vicissitudes  through  which  it  has  passed, 
the  beneficent  influence  which  these  sweetmeats  have 
exercised  on  the  government  of  our  people,  and  the  ele- 
ments of  progress  which  they  have  carried  with  them. 
Its  whole  history  might  be  compassed  in  three  small  vol- 
umes of  easy  and  agreeable  reading. 


236  MAXIMINA. 

When  they  were  through,  or  when  the  President  no 
longer  cared  to  give  any  more,  the  deputies  went  to  their 
seats,  and  the  session  was  opened.  The  first  person  to 
get  the  floor  was  an  ancient  republican  of  pale  complex- 
ion, dull  eyes,  and  a  great  shock  of  hair  which  made  him 
look  like  the  images  in  our  churches.  He  got  up  to  speak 
of  an  insurrection  that  had  been  started  in  Cadiz.  The 
subject  was  of  keen  interest,  and  there  was  a  great  curi- 
osity in  Congress  to  hear  this  gentleman's  remarks,  as  he 
was  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  revolu- 
tion. He  began  in  these  words,  or  to  the  same  effect :  — 

"  In  the  primitive  times  of  history  man  wandered 
naked  through  the  forests,  supporting  life  with  the  fruit 
of  trees,  and  the  milk  and  flesh  of  animals  which  he 
hunted.  One  day  he  saw  an  animal  like  himself  passing 
through  the  woods.  He  flung  his  lasso  and  caught  it. 
It  proved  to  be  —  a  woman.  Hence  the  family,  seftores 
diputados.  ..." 

He  went  on  giving  a  complete  though  succinct  sketch 
of  universal  history,  and  explained  to  the  minutest  details 
the  theories  of  the  social  contract.  He  quoted  numerous 
texts  from  the  wise  men  of  ancient  and  modern  times  in 
support  of  his  own  theories.  Attention  was  attracted 
above  all  by  one  proposition  of  bold  originality,  and  as  it 
was  received  with  murmurs  by  the  assembly,  the  deputy 
exclaimed :  — 

What !  does  this  surprise  you  ?  But  it  is  not  I  that 
say  it.  Brigida  says  it." 

"  Who  is  Brigida?"  asked  a  journalistic  tyro. 

"  His  housekeeper,"  replied  another,  without  looking  up. 

"Why!  what  a  ridiculous  thing  to  quote  his  house- 
keeper here  !  "  exclaimed  the  first. 

The  deputies  received  with  renewed  murmurs  the  name 
of  the  author  of  the  quotation. 


MAXIMINA.  237 

"  Brigida  says  it,"  cried  the  orator  with  all  the  force  of 
his  lungs. 

Louder  and  longer  murmurs.  When  quiet  was  restored, 
he  said  in  a  grave  and  solemn  tone  :  — 

"  Santa  Brigida  says  so  !" 

"  Ahaaaaaa  !  "  replied  the  assembly. 

The  last  five  minutes  were  devoted  to  the  events  in 
Cadiz,  and  that  was  to  say  that  it  was  all  the  fault  of  the 
government. 

It  seems  logical  to  report  that  the  orator  was  removed 
from  there  in  a  cage  and  taken  to  a  mad-house.  Nothing 
of  the  sort  happened,  however :  the  minister  replied  in 
all  formality,  and  combated  his  quotations  and  theories 
with  other  quotations  and  other  theories.  At  that  period 
all  addresses  began  with  Adam  and  no  one  was  surprised 
at  it. 

Next,  coming  to  the  order  of  the  day,  it  was  the  turn 
of  tariff  reform,  and  Mendoza  was  granted  the  floor.  He, 
having  spread  out  on  his  desk  his  earthquake  of  notes, 
coughing  three  or  four  times,  lifting  up  his  hands  an 
equal  number,  began  his  great  oration. 

His  voice  was  well  modulated,  clear,  and  mellow ;  his 
tone  grave  and  high-sounding ;  his  gestures  noble  and 
refined.  Neither  Demosthenes,  nor  Cicero,  nor  Mirabeau 
were  blessed  with  such  an  effective  presence  and  such  an 
elegant  round  of  attitudes  as  our  friend  Brutandor. 

But  the  trouble  was  that  the  ideas  that  proceeded  from 
his  mouth  did  not  correspond  in  the  least  with  such  atti- 
tudes. That  wrathful  gesture,  that  lowering  and  raising 
of  the  voice,  and  those  short  but  quick  steps  in  front  of 
his  desk,  were  very  appropriate  to  accompany  the  cele- 
brated ' '  Tell  your  master  that  only  by  the  force  of  bayo- 
nets will  we  be  taken  from  this  spot,"  or  the  Quousque 
tandem  Catilina;  but  for  saying  that  the  annual  con- 


238  MAXIMINA. 

sumption  of  cotton  in  England  in  1767  was  4,000,000 
pounds,  and  that  in  1867  it  was  more  than  1,400,000,000 
pounds ;  that  the  number  of  workmen  engaged  there  in 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  is  500,000,  and  4,000,000  the 
persons  whose  living  depends  on  this  industry ;  that  the 
value  of  the  paper  manufactured  in  1835  was  80,000,000 
pounds  and  in  1860  exceeded  223,000,000  ;  that  the  manu- 
factories of  the  said  product  at  the  present  time  num- 
bered 394 ;  that  in  France  its  production  exceeded 
25,000,000  kilograms,  etc.,  —  they  did  not  seem  so  appro- 
priate. His  whole  discourse  was  reduced  to  this :  quan- 
tities, dates,  facts.  The  deputies,  with  more  or  less  dis- 
simulation, began  to  desert  the  salon,  one  after  the 
other. 

"  This  orator  is  an  air-pump,"  said  one  reporter.  "At 
this  rate  there  will  soon  be  a  perfect  vacuum." 

The  jokes  and  flings  in  the  press-gallery  became  general. 
Miguel,  who  knew  what  he  had  to  expect  from  his  friend's 
genius,  listened  with  disgust  to  their  raillery  of  him :  he 
was  anxious,  and  somewhat  inclined  to  cut  short  their 
jests  peremptorily ;  but,  as  in  that  tribunal  of  Liberty, 
comment  on  the  speeches  was  traditional,  he  did  his  best- 
to  restrain  himself.  The  best  thing  that  occurred  to  him, 
in  order  to  avoid  being  compromised,  was  to  make  a 
hurried  visit  home  and  find  out  how  his  wife  was.  When 
he  returned,  the  orator  was  still  speaking. 

"  Now,  Congress  is  about  to  see  the  most  curious  thing 
of  all,"  said  the  worthy  Brutandor. 

And,  on  turning  round  to  gather  up  from  his  desk  the 
papers  on  which  it  was  written,  he  showed  the  seat  of  his 
trousers  !  But  no  one  noticed  this  graceful  quid  pro  quo 
except  Miguel  and  a  shorthand  reporter,  who  could  not 
help  laughing. 

The  joking  continued  among  the  reporters ;  the  obser- 


MAXIMINA.  239 

rations,  however,  were  made  more  with  the  purpose  of 
causing  a  laugh  than  of  hurting  the  feelings  of  the  orator, 
whom  almost  all  knew  or  were  intimate  with.  Only 
one,  the  editor  of  a  Carlist  daily,  from  time  to  time  got 
off  serious  criticisms  in  bad  taste,  as  though  he  had  some 
personal  ill-will  against  Meudoza.  Miguel  had  already 
looked  at  this  man  two  or  three  times  in  an  aggressive 
manner,  without  the  other  taking  any  notice  of  it.  At 
last,  accosting  him,  Miguel  said  :  — 

"  See  here,  friend  ;  I  am  not  surprised  that  the  numbers 
of  El  Uhiverso  are  so  stupid !  You  evidently  take  pains 
to  waste  all  your  wit  here." 

"What  3'ou  just  said  to  me  seems  to  me  an  intentional 
insult,  sir ! " 

"  Perhaps." 

"You  will  immediately  give  me  an  apology,"  said  the 
journalist,  very  much  disturbed. 

"  No  ;  I  should  much  prefer  to  give  3-011  some  unpleas- 
antness by  and  by,"  replied  Miguel,  with  a  smile. 

Then  the  editor  of  El  Universo  took  his  hat  and  went 
out  in  great  indignation.  In  a  short  time,  two  Catholic 
deputies  made  their  appearance  in  the  gallery,  asking  for 
Miguel. 

"  You  have  come  to  ask  me  to  make  an  apology,  have 
you?  Then  I  tell  you  that  I  shall  not  make  one.  Come 
to  an  understanding  with  these  two  friends  of  mine." 

And  he  introduced  those  whom  he  had  selected.  The 
Catholic  editor's  seconds  had  not  come  so  primed  for  a 
bellicose  decision :  after  consulting  a  few  moments  with 
Miguel's,  they  went  down  to  ask  further  instructions  of 
their  principal ;  then  returned  in  a  short  time  with  the 
calumet  of  peace  in  their  hands,  saying  that  '  their 
friend's  religious  principles  did  not  allow  him  to  settle 
insults  with  weapons.' 


240  MAXIMINA. 

On  hearing  this,  there  was  an  explosion  of  laughter  in 
the  gallery. 

"  Then,  if  his  religious  principles  do  not  allow  him  to 
fight,"  said  Miguel,  irritated,  "there  was  no  reason  for 
him  to  choose  seconds.  But  it  seems  as  if  this  gentle- 
man wished  to  try  his  fortune." 

At  last,  Mendoza  finished  his  oration  with  three  depu- 
ties in  the  hall,  one  of  them  snoring.  This,  however,  did 
not  prevent  the  papers  on  the  following  day  declaring 
that  he  was  a  man  "  most  skilled  in  financial  matters." 

When  Miguel  went  to  congratulate  him,  he  was  sweat- 
ing copiously  but  calm  and  serene  as  a  god,  surrounded 
by  all  the  members  of  the  committee  of  Estimates. 

They  left  Congress  together,  and  went  for  refresh- 
ments to  the  Caf6  de  la  Iberia.  After  chatting  there  for 
some  time,  Miguel  doing  most  of  the  talking  (for  we 
know  of  old  that  Mendoza  was  not  the  man  to  waste  his 
breath  foolishly) ,  the  latter  got  up,  saying  :  — 

"  Well,  Miguelito,  excuse  me  if  I  leave  you  ;  I  have  a 
few  things  to  attend  to." 

Rivera's  eyes  expressed  surprise  and  indignation. 

"Your  glory  has  spoiled  your  memory,  Perico.  Hadn't 
we  agreed  to  see  the  President  after  the  session  ?  " 

"That  is  a  fact:  I  had  forgotten,"  replied  Mendoza, 
without  being  able  to  repress  a  motion  of  vexation  and 
disgust.  "I  don't  know  as  this  is  —  it  is  pretty  near 
dinner  time.  ..." 

Miguel,  who  had  not  failed  to  notice  his  gesture,  said 
with  characteristic  impetuosity  :  — 

"  Look  here,  do  you  imagine  that  I  lamentably  wasted 
two  hours  hearing  you  quote  data  to  be  found  in  any 
statistical  annual  merely  for  the  pleasure  of  doing  so?  .  .  . 
I  never  believed  that  your  egotism  was  carried  to  such  a 
degree.  You  see  me  within  a  hand's-breadth  of  ruin,  for 


MAXIMINA.  241 

your  sake,  only  for  your  sake,  and  instead  of  using  all 
your  powers  to  save  me,  in  doing  which  you  would  be 
merely  fulfilling  your  duty,  you  manifest  Olympian  indif- 
ference ;  you  aren't  even  willing  to  put  yourself  out  to  go 
with  me  from  here  to  the  Presidency.  That  is  unworthy, 
shameful !  I  have  excused  many  things  in  my  life,  Perico  ; 
but  this  goes  beyond  bounds." 

Rivera,  in  saying  these  words,  trembled  with  indigna- 
tion. 

"  Don't  be  so  explosive  man  !  why,  I  have  not  yet  re- 
fused to  go  with  you  to  the  Presidency,  or  anywhere  else," 
said  Mendoza,  laying  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  while  his 
lips  were  curved  by  that  humble  smile  which  Miguel  com- 
pared to  that  of  "a  Newfoundland  dog."  "  Come  on  !  let 
us  go  thjs  very  moment  to  the  Presidency  !  " 

"  Come  on,  then,"  said  Rivera  dryly,  getting  up. 

After  going  a  few  steps  his  vexation  subsided. 

When  they  reached  there,  the  President  had  not  yet 
come  in.  Mendoza,  as  a  deputy,  made  his  way  immedi- 
ately into  the  office,  and  there  the}'  both  waited,  taking  a 
comfortable  seat  on  a  sofa  while  the  throng  of  office- 
hunters  were  spoiling  in  the  anteroom.  It  was  not  long 
before  there  was  the  sound  of  a  carriage  under  the  porte 
coch&re :  instantly  all  the  bells  in  the  house  began  to  jingle 
madly. 

"  Here  comes  the  President,"  said  Mendoza. 

Indeed,  in  a  few  seconds  he  came  into  the  office,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  deputies.  Seeing  Mendoza,  he 
greeted  him  in  the  free  and  easy  tone  with  which  he 
greeted  the  friends  who  came  every  day. 

"  Well  worked  up,  my  dear  Mendoza,  well  worked  up. 
It  has  produced  a  very  good  effect." 

He  alluded  to  the  speech. 

Mendoza,  instead  of  being  embarrassed  by  the  great- 


242  MAXIMINA. 

ness  of  the  personage  before  whom  he  stood,  replied  in 
the  same  familiar  and  fluent  tone.  This  self-possession 
did  not  fail  to  impress  Miguel ;  for  he,  being  more  ac- 
customed to  social  intercourse,  could  not  help  feeling  some 
emotion  of  respect  before  the  man  who  held  the  reins  of 
government. 

The  President  was  about  fifty  }-ears  old :  he  was  fair 
and  pale,  with  regular,  and  not  unpleasing,  features ;  the 
only  thing  that  disfigured  his  face  was  a  row  of  huge 
teeth,  which  were  apt  to  be  uncovered  when  he  smiled ; 
and  this  he  did  frequently,  not  to  say  incessantly. 

"  I  present  my  friend,  Miguel  Rivera,  who  is  now  the 
actual  editor  of  La  Independencia" 

"I  have  heard  of  this  gentleman.  I  am  very,  very 
glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Seiior  Rivera,"  s.aid  the 
President,  shaking  hands  with  exceeding  amiability.  "You 
will  excuse  me  a  moment,  will  you  not?"  he  added, 
touching  them  both  on  the  shoulder  ;  "  I  have  to  speak  a 
few  words  with  these  gentlemen.  ...  I  will  be  with  you 
in  an  instant." 

The  instant  was  about  half  an  hour.  Miguel  had  been 
growing  impatient.  But  the  President's  courteous  recep- 
tion made  him  feel  better,  and  inclined  him  to  pardon  the 
delay. 

"  There,"  said  he,  after  taking  leave  of  the  other  gen- 
tlemen, "  now  I  am  at  your  service.  What  can  I  do  for 
you,  friend  Mendoza?" 

"I  wanted  to  know  if  you  have  come  to  any  decision 
about  the  district  of  Serin  ?  " 

"  What  district  is  that :  the  one  left  by  General  Rios?  " 
he  asked,  for  a  moment  ceasing  to  smile,  and  fixing  his 
eyes  on  the  window. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

' '  We  have  not  as  yet  given  any  thought  to  the  vacant 


MAXIMINA.  243 

districts.  The  second  elections  will  not  take  place  for 
two  months  at  least." 

k'My  friend 'Rivera,  here,  has  conceived  the  idea  of 
presenting  himself  for  that  district  in  case  the  govern- 
ment should  favor  it." 

"  There  is  some  little  time  yet ;  still  you  would  do  well 
to  begin  making  your  arrangements.  .  .  .  But,  friend  Men- 
doza,  you  are  a  '  well  of  science ' !  "  he  added,  jocularly, 
not  making  it  at  all  evident  whether  he  spoke  ironically 
or  not.  ct  Ah  !  that  was  a  meaty  discourse  that  you  gave 
us  this  afternoon  !  " 

Brutandor  inclined  his  head,  and  did  his  best  to  smile. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  be  ceremonious  with  you,  gentle- 
men, for  you  are  friends.  Come  and  take  dinner  with  me, 
and  then  we  can  talk  with  greater  comfort  and  ease." 

And  he  showed  them  into  a  private  room  where  there 
was  a  table  spread.  Neither  Mendoza  nor  Miguel  ac- 
cepted his  invitation,  but  the  latter  appreciated  this  kindly 
hospitality. 

The  President  began  his  meal,  more  than  once  deplor- 
ing that  his  friends  would  not  join  him  ;  he  kept  growing 
more  and  more  expansive  and  genial  with  Mendoza,  and 
he  overwhelmed  Miguel  with  refined  and  delicate  atten- 
tions, now  speaking  in  the  terms  of  wannest  eulogy 
of  his  father,  whom  he  had  known,  and  now  calling  to 
mind  some  good  article  in  La  Independencia ;  again,  ask- 
ing with  lively  interest  into  the  details  of  his  life :  if  he 
were  married,  and  how  long  since?  where  had  he  studied? 
what  was  he  doing?  etc.,  etc.  He  related  to  them  various 
lively  anecdotes,  and  made  some  droll  sketches  of  some 
dead  politicians  whom  he  had  known  in  times  gone  by ; 
of  those  who  were  alive  he  always  spoke  with  sufficient 
consideration,  even  though  the}*  were  in  the  opposition. 
Suddenly  interrupting  himself,  he  asked :  — 


244  MAXIMINA. 

"  Isn't  it  true,  Senor  Rivera,  that  the  President  of  the 
Council  is  a  trifle  impudent?" 

"  It  used  to  be  said  that  Richelieu  also  was,"  replied 
Miguel,  with  a  bow. 

"  I  feel  that  I  have  his  defects,  and  not  his  qualities. 
You  can  imagine  how  I  envy  those  reserved,  polite,  pru- 
dent men  .  .  .  like  our  friend  Mendoza  here  !  " 

Again  it  was  difficult  to  tell  whether  the  head  of  the 
government  were  speaking  seriously. 

"  I  do  not ;  it  would  be  depriving  myself  of  one  of  the 
greatest  pleasures  of  life." 

"  I  agree  with  you  ;  but  it  costs  the  most  of  all." 

And  in  this  connection  he  related  several  cases  where  by 
frankly  saying  what  he  thought,  it  had  caused  him  serious 
losses.  His  conversation  was  gay,  insinuating,  without 
the  least  snobbishness ;  his  fault  lay,  on  the  contrary, 
in  excessive  familiarity. 

When  he  had  finished  eating,  he  courteously  offered 
cigars,  and  after  lighting  one  and  leaning  back  in  his 
chair,  he  asked  Rivera  :  — 

"  So,  then,  you  wish  to  be  deputy  for  Serin?" 

"  If  you  have  no  opposition  to  it.  .  .  ." 

"I?  Why  should  I  have  any  opposition  to  it?  It  is 
sufficient  that  you  are  Brigadier  Rivera's  son  and  Men- 
doza's  friend.  Besides,  110  election  could  be  more  suitable 
than  yours.  You  are  a  young  man  of  talent,  as  has 
already  been  proved ;  you  belong  to  the  democratic  wing 
of  the  party,  and  that  composes  a  very  respectable  con- 
tingent in  it ;  you  have  an  independent  fortune  ...  on 
men  like  you  the  heads  of  the  government  ought  to  have 
great  reliance,  and  ought  to  win  them  over  at  all  hazards. 
We  like  young  men  of  intelligence,  and  with  a  future 
ahead  of  them  ;  rising  stars  !  As  for  those  that  are  de- 
clining, let  them  have  a  feather-bed  to  rest  in !  That  is 
public  life." 


MAXIMINA.  245 

He  remained  a  few  moments  pensive ;  puffed  at  his 
cigar,  and  added  :  — 

"  I  am  not  acquainted  with  this  district  of  Serin.  Do 
you  know  how  it  is  situated,  Mendoza?" 

"  My  impression  is  that  government  has  absolute  con- 
trol of  it.  The  general  had  certainty  no  opposition." 

"  Very  good  ;  but  you  must  remember  that  the  general 
is  a  figure  of  the  first  magnitude  in  politics,  and  that  his 
name  would  be  sufficient  to  scare  off  all  opposition." 

"Nevertheless,  I  believe  that  the  district,  with  such 
little  help  as  the  government  may  afford,  is  secure." 

"Really?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  is  the  general  agreeable  to  Senor  Rivera's  can- 
didacy?" 

"  Certainly  he  is  ;  they  are  old  friends.  I  will  stand 
guarantee  for  him." 

"  Well,  if  that  is  so,"  said  the  President,  rising  and 
laying  one  hand  on  Miguel's  shoulder ;  "count  yourself 
as  deputy." 

"  Many  thanks,  Senor  Presidente  !  " 

"Don't  mention  it.  What  other  wish  could  I  have 
than  that  all  the  deputies  of  the  majority  were  like  you ! 
.  .  .  Don't  fail  to  come  and  talk  things  over  with  me 
soon.  Though  the  elections  will  be  postponed,  a  little,  it 
will  be  necessary  for  you  to  write  to  the  district,  and 
through  the  general's  mediation  come  into  relationship 
with  some  person  of  influence  there.  Don't  send  out  any 
manifesto.  When  the  occasion  arrives,  we  will  write  to 
the  governor.  Adi6s,  seftores;  I  am  so  glad  to  have  made 
your  acquaintance  !  You  must  feel  assured  that  I  am  at 
your  service.  Do  not  forget  me,  and  be  sure  to  come  and 
see  me  some  time  !  " 

Miguel  departed,  enthusiastic  over  his  interview.  When 
he  was  in  the  street,  he  exclaimed  :  — 


246  MAXIMINA. 

"  But  how  cordial  the  President  is  !  Oftentimes  one 
finds  a  mere  clerk  more  puffed  up  in  his  office  !  Still  he 
lets  one  see  the  superiority  of  persons  when  it  is  legiti- 
mate. I  am  not  surprised  that  he  has  so  many  friends, 
and  so  firm  ones.  .  .  .  How  easy  it  is  for  a  man  high  in 
rank  to  win  friends  !  Now,  here  I  am !  He  gives  me 
merely  a  natural  and  kindly  welcome,  and  says  a  few 
courteous  phrases,  and  I  am  ready  to  die  for  him ! " 

"  You  must  not  neglect  to  write  to  the  general  immedi- 
ately," said  Mendoza,  gravely. 

"  You  are  a  man  of  ice,  Perico  !  For  you  there  are  no 
friendships  nor  hatreds ;  no  men  are  congenial  or  anti- 
pathetic. From  all  you  take  what  you  need,  and  go  your 
way.  .  .  .  Perhaps  you  are  right." 

XVIII. 

"  You  aren't  vexed  with  me,  Maximina,  are  you?  The 
idea  of  leaving  you  alone  all  day !  "  he  said,  as  he  came 
to  his  wife's  bed. 

"Pshaw!  If  you  did  so,  it  must  have  been  for  some 
good  reason,"  replied  she,  kissing  the  hand  which  was 
smoothing  her  cheek. 

On  the  next  day  they  received  a  call  from  Aunt  Mar- 
tina and  her  daughter  Serafina.  The  worthy  lady  had 
grown  visibly  more  feeble.  '  Such  a  life  she  led  with  her 
husband !  Don  Bernardo  kept  growing  more  and  more 
crazy  with  his  foolish  jealousies ! '  As  she  told  what 
went  on  at  home,  she  wept  aloud. 

"  After  forty  years  of  married  life,  how  could  I  possi- 
bly be  unfaithful  to  your  uncle,  Miguel?  Don't  you  think 
that  I  have  proved  that  I  am  virtuous  ?  And  if  I  had  to 
fall,  moreover,  it  would  not  be  with  a  carcamal1  who 
1  Spanish  nickname  for  an  old  man. 


MAXIMINA.  247 

smells  of  drugs  for  a  mile  !  Isn't  that  so?  You  under- 
stand! .  .  ." 

Miguel  nodded  assent,  with  difficulty  repressing  a  smile, 
for  it  was  as  good  as  a  play  to  find  his  aunt  imagining 
that  any  young  man  would  flirt  with  her. 

"  I  am  an  honest  woman  .  .  .  Serafina,  don't  come  in 
here  ;  take  the  baby  into  the  dining-room,"  she  said,  in- 
terrupting herself  on  seeing  her  daughter  come  into  the 
bedroom  with  the  sweet  little  thing  in  her  arms. 

"  I  have  been  all  my  life  long.  Never  even  in  thought 
have  I  been  untrue  to  my  husband.  In  return  for  this,  he 
puts  me  to  shame  before  the  servants,  treating  me  little 
less  than  if  I  were  a  public  woman.  I  cannot  longer 
endure  this  martyrdom,  Miguel.  I  am  dying,  dying 
daily.  The  other  day  he  made  a  perfect  scandal  because 
he  found  the  end  of  a  cigar  in  my  room.  As  neither 
Vicente  nor  Carlos  smoke,  he  took  it  for  granted  that 
Hojeda  had  been  there  ;  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  insist 
that  it  was  a  cigar  such  as  the  apothecary  smokes, 
although  he  always  smokes  cigarettes  !  It  made  me  faint 
away  ;  they  had  to  call  the  doctor.  Finally,  in  the  night, 
a  little  fifteen-year-old  servant  boy  whom  we  have,  seeing 
the  serious  trouble  there  was  in  the  house,  confessed  to 
the  maid  that  it  was  he  who  had  left  the  cigar-end  there, 
and  he  went  to  tell  your  Uncle  Bernardo.  Then,  though 
he  instantly  dismissed  him,  he  did  not  remain  calm.  The 
servants  don't  stay  with  us  more  than  a  fortnight;  he 
imagines  that  they  are  all  the  apothecary's  pimps.  .  .  . 
Day  before  yesterday  the  newsboy  came  along  and 
handed  me  the  paper  as  I  happened  to  be  walking  along 
the  corridor.  My  husband  sees  it,  takes  it  into  his  head 
that  this  too  is  an  emissary,  and  dashes  out  of  the  window. 
Simply  because  Hojeda  passed  by  a  little  while  before ! 
I  can't  tell  all  that  goes  on  ;  it  is  madness,  a  catastrophe  ! 


248  MAXIMINA. 

If  it  were  not  for  Vicente,  I  would  blow  my  brains  out 
with  a  revolver.  ...  I  cannot  go  out  without  having  my 
daughter  with  me,  and  then  leaving  on  a  piece  of  paper 
where  I  am  going.  .  .  .  He  has  ordered  all  the  mattresses 
in  the  house  to  be  ripped  open,  so  as  to  find  some  of  the 
letters  which  he  says  that  I  have  hidden.  .  .  .  Finall}*,  — 
but  do  you  want  to  hear  more  ?  He  has  sent  and  had  an 
iron  grating  put  in  the  fireplace,  for  he  has  an  idea  that 
Hojeda  comes  in  that  way.  .  .  ." 

"  Ave  Maria!  How  crazy  poor  uncle  must  be  !  "  ex- 
claimed Miguel. 

"  Don't  you  believe  it ;  he  speaks  as  reasonably  as  you 
or  I,  and  his  memory  is  as  good  as  ever." 

"  Aunt,  phrenopathy  is  not  your  strong  point.  Mad- 
men have  made  progress  like  every  one  else  in  this  world. 
Nowadays,  they  discuss  and  talk  like  all  the  rest  of  us. 
To  distinguish  an  insane  person  from  one  in  his  senses 
you  must  depend  upon  a  specialist ;  consequently,  you 
must  not  meddle  in  things  that  you  don't  understand ; 
however,  my  uncle  is  certainly  showing  symptoms  that 
seem  very  suspicious,  even  to  the  ordinary  intelligence." 

"  Sane  or  insane,  I  want  to  separate  from  him,  for  my 
life  is  a  hell.  But  when  once  this  subject  came  up,  he 
became  frantic,  declaring  that  I  wanted  a  divorce  so  as  to 
many  my  lover,  and  that  he  would  empty  his  six-shooter 
into  me  if  I  did  any  such  thing.  .  .  ." 

"  Poor  aunt!  "  said  Maximina,  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  How  does  my  life  seem  to  you?  .  .  .  But  it  is  not 
this  alone.  I  have  still  another  cause  for  tribulation. 
Eulalia's  little  maid  is  almost  blind  !  " 

"  What  of?  "  asked  the  young  mother. 

"  What  do  you  suppose,  child?  Of  her  eyes,  of  course  !  " 

"  No ;  I  meant  of  what  disease  !  " 

"Ah!  I  don't  know  what  name  the  doctor  gives  it. 


MAXIMINA.  249 

Then,  besides,  Encarnaci6n  the  maid,  who  you  must 
know  has  been  my  hands  and  feet,  got  married  last  Mon- 
day. You  can't  imagine  the  state  of  the  house  since  she 
left  us  !  It  is  a  republic,  children !  I  can't  be  in  half 
a  dozen  places  at  once.  For  a  dozen  years  I  have  de- 
pended wholly  on  her She  had  the  keys  to  the  linen 

closet ;  she  kept  account  of  the  washing ;  she  took  out 
the  chocolate  and  the  garbanzos l ;  she  looked  out  for  the 
wine-closet  when  the  wines  were  getting  low ;  she  ironed 
Carlos'  and  Enrique's  shirts  (for  Vicente  sends  his  out  to 
be  done  up).  Finally,  I  hardly  had  to  trouble  myself 
about  what  the  servants  got  to  eat,  she  had  them  so  under 
her  control.  .  .  .  Now,  whom  can  I  put  into  the  house  ? 
Whom  could  I  put  in  her  place,  the  service  being  so 
turned  tops<y-turvy  ?  Thursday  the  lacke}-  came  to  me 
saying-  that  Modesta  was  not  willing  to  mend  the  sleeve 
of  his  livery-coat,  which  he  had  torn.  ..." 

"And  Enrique?  How  about  him?"  asked  Miguel, 
fearing  that  his  aunt,  in  talking  about  the  servants,  would 
never  finish,  as  was  her  custom. 

"  That  is  another  thing  !  Bent  on  marrying  the  chula! 
There  is  no  way  of  getting  it  out  of  his  head.  His  father 
will  not  hear  his  name  mentioned,  and  has  already  de- 
clared that,  if  he  continues  his  relationship  with  her,  he 
will  send  him  out  of  the  house.  Vicente  and  Eulalia  are 
also  just  as  set  against  him.  The  one  who  '  pays  for  all 
the  broken  glass  in  the  house '  is  myself,  because  I  sym- 
pathize with  him  ;  don't  you  see?  " 

"  Yes  ;  Enrique  has  always  been  your  favorite  !  " 

"The  whole  family  have  always  declared  this  to  be  the 
case,  but  it  is  not  true ;  as  you  see,  he  is  the  least 
favored.  .  .  .  On  the  other  hand,  he  treats  me  worse  than 
a  shoe  !  " 

1  A  kind  of  pulse  much  affected  by  the  Spanish. 


250  MAXIMINA. 

The  entrance  of  Serafiua  with  the  baby  again  inter- 
rupted the  conversation  ;  behind  her  came  all  the  maids, 
evincing  a  lively  excitement. 

"What  is  the  mutter?" 

"  Why  !  the  baby  smiled  !  "  said  Serafina. 

"Smiled!  He  smiled,  as  sure  as  there  is  a  God  in 
heaven,  senorita,"  said  one  of  the  maids,  adding  her  tes- 
timony. 

' '  Go  along  with  you  !  you  are  all  crazy  !  "  said  Dona 
Martina.  "  Why,  he  is  only  two  days  old  !  " 

"  It  cannot  be,"  insisted  Maximina,  although  she  flushed 
with  joy  at  the  thought. 

"  But  he  did  ;  he  did  !  "  exclaimed  all  the  servants. 

"  This  is  the  way  it  happened,  senorita,"  said  one  maid, 
scarcely  able  to  get  her  breath.  "  The  Senorita  Sera- 
fina was  this  way  with  the  baby;  do  you  see?  .  And  I 
looked  and  took  hold  of  him  by  the  shoulder,  do  you  see  ? 
and  lifted  him  up,  and  began  to  move  him  up  and  down, 
and  to  say  :  '  Little  chicken  ! l  rosebud  !  pink  !  do  you 
want  to  be  called  Miguelito,  like  your  papa?  '  The  baby 
didn't  do  anything.  '  Do  you  want  to  be  called  Enri- 
quito  like  your  uncle  ? '  He  didn't  do  anything  this  time 
either.  '  Do  you  want  to  be  called  Serafin  after  your 
aunt?'  And  then  he  opened  his  eyes  just  a  wee  bit, 
and  made  up  a  little  mouth  with  his  lips.  Oh,  so  cun- 
ning !  " 

Maximina  smiled  as  though  she  had  been  listening  to  a 
revelation  from  heaven.  She,  and  her  aunt  also,  were 
instantly  convinced,  but  Miguel  still  doubted. 

"When  it  comes  to  the  smiling  of  infants  not  more 
than  fifty-seven  hours  old,"  said  Miguel,  "  I  must  confess 
to  an  unyielding  scepticism.  I  am  like  Saint  Thomas : 
seeing  is  believing." 

1  Chiquirritin,  affectionate  diminutive  of  chiquetin,  little  one. 


MAXIM1NA.  251 

"  But  he  did  smile,  Miguel.  Don't  you  have  any  doubt 
of  it ;  I  assure  you  he  did,  .  .  ."  said  Serafina. 

"You  do  not  offer  me  sufficient  guarantees  of  irapar- 
tialit}-." 

"  Very  good  !  then  he  is  going  to  do  it  again  ;  now  you 
shall  see  for  yourself." 

Serafina  took  the  child  and  lifted  him  above  her  head, 
with  great  decision,  at  the  same  time  asking  him  if  he 
wanted  to  be  called  Serafin ;  to  which  question  the  child 
did  not  find  it  expedient  to  reply,  perhaps  from  an  excess 
of  diplomacj-,  because  it  would  not  have  been  strange  if 
the  name  had  seemed  absurd  to  him. 

Maximina,  meantime,  hung  on  his  lips  as  though  the 
child  were  passing  through  a  college  examination. 

"You  try  it,  Placida,"  said  she,  trying  to  hide  her 
affliction. 

Placida  stepped  out  of  the  group  like  one  of  the  "  art- 
ists" of  Price's  circus,  coming  forth  to  perform  his  great 
feat.  She  lifted  the  child  with  surprising  skill,  swung  him 
from  north  to  south,  then  from  east  to  west,  and  with 
impetuous  voice  put  the  sacred  questions :  ' '  Little 
chicken,  sweetie!  rosebud!  pink!  do  you  want  to  be 
called  Miguelito,  like  your  papa?  Do  you  want  to 
be  called  Enriquito  like  your  uncle  ?  Do  you  want  to  be 
called  Serafin  after  your  aunt?" 

A  lugubrious  silence  followed  these  words.  All  eyes 
were  fastened  on  the  young  candidate,  who,  instead  of 
showing  a  liking  for  any  of  the  names  proposed,  made  it 
very  clear,  though  in  an  inarticulate  way,  that  he  could  see 
no  reason  why,  for  a  mere  question  of  names,  these  hypo- 
chondriacs should  bother  him  so  much. 

"  Do  you  see?  "  said  Miguel. 

"  The  reason  is,  he  isn't  in  humor  for  laughing,"  pro- 
tested Maximina,  very  much  dissatisfied.  "You  won't 


252  MAXIMINA. 

laugh  either  when  you  are  told  to !  Besides,  he  must  be 
hungry  by  this  time.  Give  him  to  me  !  Give  him  to  me  ! 
Joy  of  my  life  !  Sweetheart  mine  !  " 

And  the  child-mother  snuggled  her  little  son  under  the 
sheets,  and  put  him  to  her  breast. 

On  the  third  day  baptism  took  place.  With  the  melan- 
choly resignation  usually  manifested  by  mothers  in  such 
circumstances,  Maximina  let  them  carry  her  bab}-  away. 

"He  is  a  Christian  alread3*,  senorita,"  said  the  maid, 
taking  possession  of  him. 

The  young  mother  kissed  him  fondly,  and  pressed  him 
to  her  heart,  saying,  in  a  whisper,  "Thou  shan't  be  taken 
from  me  again,  child  of  my  bosom  ! " 

On  the  fifth  day  she  was  sitting  up.  In  a  week  she 
was  about  the  house  ;  in  a  fortnight  she  was  out  of  doors 
as  usual.  Enrique  and  Julita  were  the  child's  god-parents, 
and  he  was  named  after  the  former. 

The  pleasure,  which  Miguel  found  in  all  these  things 
was  embittered  by  the  serious  danger  threatening  his 
fortune.  All  the  time  this  thought  haunted  him  to  such 
a  degree  that  it  was  a  great  effort  for  him  to  seem  happy 
in  his  wife's  presence. 

He  wrote  to  the  general,  but  he  replied  in  such  an 
ambiguous  and  suspicious  manner  that  it  left  no  room  for 
doubt  that  in  this  quarter  no  help  was  to  be  expected. 
From  that  time  he  deliberately  made  up  his  mind  that  his 
salvation  depended  on  his  election  to  Congress,  in  gaining 
influence  in  the  majority  and  with  the  ministers,  and  in 
making  the  best  of  it  at  a  given  moment  by  getting 
from  the  reserve  funds  the  money  which  he  had  compro- 
mised. 

But  Eguiburu  had  already  made  him  three  or  four  more 
calls,  and  was  pressing  him  to  guarantee  the  rest  of  the 
money ;  finally,  after  many  circumlocutions  and  periph- 


MAXIMINA.  253 

rases,  he  began  to  threaten  him  with  a  legal  summons. 
Then  he  saw  that  it  was  necessary  to  risk  the  whole  for 
the  whole.  If  he  did  not  take  the  additional  guarantee  his 
ruin  was  sure  ;  Eguiburu  would  sell  his  houses  by  auc- 
tion, and  though  some  money  would  remain,  as  they  were 
worth  more  than  the  amount  of  the  debt,  it  would  not  be 
very  much.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  bring  about  a 
scandal ;  everybody  would  look  upon  him  as  a  ruined  man, 
if  not  a  swindler,  and  would  turn  their  backs  on  him  ;  he 
knew  the  world  well  enough  to  see  that  clearly.  He  would 
have  to  give  up  all  thoughts  of  his  election  :  poverty  hath 
everywhere  an  evil  savor. 

He  finally  decided  to  endorse  the  I.  O.  U.  of  the  twelve 
thousand  duros,  and  he  made  an  appointment  with  his 
creditor  for  the  business.  With  emotion  natural  to  one 
who  is  going  to  burn  his  ships,  he  presented  himself  one 
afternoon  at  Eguiburu's  house.  He  was  in  his  office  talk- 
ing with  two  individuals.  Miguel  wanted  to  wait  until 
these  had  gone  before  he  introduced  his  business  ;  but  the 
money  lender  immediately  began  to  speak  aloud,  and  as 
he  noticed  that  the  young  man  kept  giving  anxious  glances 
at  the  intruders,  and  showed  some  reserve  in  replying, 
he  said  :  —  ' 

"You  can  talk  with  perfect  freedom  ;  these  gentlemen 
are  friends,  and  our  affairs  are  nothing  to  them." 

Miguel  immediately  perceived  what  this  meant. 

"  This  miserable  wretch  is  afraid  that  I  shall  try  to  get 
out  of  it  by  declaring  my  name  a  forgery,  and  has  brought 
a  couple  of  witnesses." 

With  this  thought  his  pride,  revolted  ;  he  could  have 
wished  that  he  were  not  burdened  with  a  family,  so  as  to 
fling  the  thirty  thousand  duros  through  the  window,  at 
the  same  time  slap  this  vile  wretch  in  the  face.  He  with 
difficulty  restrained  himself,  and  began  to  discuss  the  busi- 


254  MAXIMINA. 

ness  with  the  fierce  money  lender,  whose  voice  kept  grow- 
ing louder  and  louder  as  he  brought  to  light  all  that 
had  gone  before.  Miguel  answered  his  questions  curtly. 
Finally,  when  he  had  satisfied  him  on  them,  and  was 
about  to  sign  his  name  to  the  I.  0.  U.,  the  money  lender 
said  :  — 

"  Here  a  difficult}*  arises,  friend  Rivera.  It  is  a  pain- 
ful matter  for  me  to  mention  to  you  because  it  will  be  a 
hard  thing  for  you  ;  but  there  is  no  other  way  out  of  it. 
Above  and  beyond  the  246,000  reals  which  I  have  fur- 
nished for  the  support  of  the  paper,  I  have  also  accommo- 
dated now  the  general,  now  Senor  Mendoza,  now  the  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  daily,  with  some  considerable  funds 
amounting  to  111,000  reals.  .  .  .  Here  are  the  receipts. 
In  them  it  is  stipulated  that  these  various  sums  were  in- 
tended for  the  aid  of  the  emigrados,  though  really  they 
were  for  the  intrigues  of  the  revolutionists.  .  .  .  As  you  will 
easily  understand,  I  do  not  intend  to  lose  this  money.  .  .  ." 

"  And  you  expect  me  to  pay  that  also,  do  you?" 

"  I  might  exact  it  of  the  general  and  Senor  Mendoza, 
who  have  signed  the  receipts ;  but  it  would  cost  me  the 
trouble  of  lawsuits.  ..." 

"  Yes,  yes,  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  guarantee  also 
these  five  thousand  duros,"  said  Miguel,  in  a  sarcas- 
tic tone,  "  and  thus  free  you  and  them  from  a  little 
trouble." 

"  Senor  de  Rivera,  I  feel  that  I  am  causing  you  a  great 
deal  of  annoyance.  ..." 

"Nonsense!  you  feel  nothing  of  the  sort;  when  one 
has  a  man  by  the  throat  he  ought  to  squeeze  him.  .  .  . 
Let  me  see !  where  is  the  I.  O.  U.  ?  Put  on  the  other 
too." 

Eguiburu,  flushed  with  triumph,  spread  out  a  paper,  and 
Rivera  endorsed  it  with  a  nervous  hand.  His  face  was 


MAXIMINA.  255 

changed,  and  his  voice  sounded  strange  ;  but  he  preserved 
a  serious  and  cool  mien. 

"  Have  you  not  added  the  item  of  the  additional  1 1 1,000 
reals?  "  asked  Miguel,  dryly. 

"  I  am  going  to  immediately,"  replied  the  banker,  with- 
out being  able  to  hide  a  certain  confusion,  which  showed 
that  he  had  not  yet  entirely  lost  his  shame. 

When  he  had  filled  it  out,  Miguel  endorsed  it,  flung 
down  his  pen  with  a  haughty  gesture,  and  bade  him  fare- 
well, bending  his  head. 

"  Good  afternoon,  gentlemen." 

He  left  the  room  without  shaking  hands  with  any  one. 

His  cheeks  were  on  fire  when  he  found  himself  in  the 
street.  The  first  thing  that  he  did  was  to  go  to  the  edi- 
torial rooms  of  La,  Independencia,  and  announce  to  the 
editors  and  employes  that  the  paper  was  to  cease  publi- 
cation. He  wrote  a  valedictoiy  article,  and  left  affairs 
half  settled.  On  the  days  that  followed  everything  was 
completely  cleared  up. 

La  Independencia  being  dead,  his  mind  was  more  at 
ease,  and  he  could  devote  himself  entirely  to  "work  for 
his  election."  On  this  he  placed  all  his  hope ;  if  he 
entered  Congress,  he  felt  that  he  should  soon  become 
known  among  the  majority  ;  he  was  a  ready  speaker  ;  he 
was  accustomed  to  debate  ;  finally,  he  was  gifted  with 
better  judgment  than  most  of  those  who  at  this  time  rep- 
resented the  country.  Consequently,  he  devoted  himself 
with  ardor  to  asking  recommendations,  not  only  at  first, 
but  even  at  second,  third,  and  fourth  hand ;  he  wrote 
numerous  letters,  and  made  various  calls.  Nevertheless, 
he  was  careful  not  to  call  upon  the  President  very  soon  ; 
he  had  sufficient  cunning  or  tact  to  understand  that  he 
ought  not  to  show  too  much  eagerness,  lest  he  should  be 
despised ;  the  best  way  was  to  work  for  himself  first,  and 
then  remind  the  minister  of  his  word. 


256  MAXIMINA. 

Meiidoza  did  not  approve  of  the  death  of  La  Indepen- 
dencia. 

"That  was  a  bad  move,  Miguel;  it  may  cost  you 
dear,"  said  he,  with  a  gesture  of  disgust. 

"  What  would  you  have,"  replied  Miguel  impetuously, 
"  that  I  should  meet  out  of  my  pocket  all  the  expenses, 
besides  carrying  the  bond  that  I  have  given  ?  " 

"  Even  though  you  had  made  a  sacrifice,  it  would  have 
been  wise  if  you  had  kept  up  the  daily  at  least  till  after 
the  election." 

Miguel   tried   still   to    maintain    the   opposite ;    but  at 
bottom  he  saw  instantly  that  his  friend  was   right,  and  , 
that  he  had  acted  rashly. 

A  month  or  more  having  passed  since  his  first  visit  to  the 
President,  he  determined  to  make  a  second.  He  went  at 
the  time  at  which  he  was  usually  in* his  office.  The  usher 
informed  him  that  his  excellency  was  very  much  engaged 
in  talking  with  a  committee  of  Catalanian  deputies,  and 
had  given  orders  that  absolutely  no  one  should  be  per- 
mitted to  enter. 

"  I  must  speak  with  him  ;  he  himself  invited  me  to  come 
here." 

The  doorkeeper  looked  at  him  with  that  indifferent  and 
weary  expression,  really  at  bottom  full  of  scorn,  peculiar 
to  those  who  constantly  listen  to  the  same  things,  and 
know  that  they  are  telling  lies. 

"  If  you  wish  to  wait,  you  can  sit  down."  Which  was 
equivalent  to  saying:  "What  a  double  fool  you  are, 
friend !  Do  you  suppose  that  I  care  to  hear  absurdi- 
ties?" 

Miguel  flushed,  and  went  and  sat  down  on  a  sofa  in  the 
anteroom,  where  there  were  six  or  seven  other  persons 
waiting. 

In  a  short  time  a  gentleman  in  an  overcoat  came  in 


MAXIMINA.  257 

very  pompously  ;  the  doorkeeper  made  a  reverent  bow 
before  him,  and  opened  the  screen  of  the  presidential 
chamber.  It  was  evident  that  the  order  "  to  let  abso- 
lutely no  one  in "  was  the  doorkeeper's  manufacture. 

Miguel  jumped  up  angrily,  and  said,  opening  his  card- 
case  :  — 

"Have  the  goodness  to  take  this  card  to  the  Presi- 
dent." 

"  I  cannot,  caballero ;  I  have  orders.  .  .  ." 

"  I  insist  upon  it  that  you  carry  this  card  to  the  Presi- 
dent," he  repeated  in  a  louder  voice,  and  with  an  ener- 
getic accent  that  had  some  effect  upon  the  usher,  who 
finally  took  it,  though  still  grumbling,  and  entered  the 
room. 

"  You  will  please  wait  an  instant,  caballero,"  said  the 
man,  coming  out. 

He  waited  an  hour  and  a  half  ;  but  he  stayed,  bent  upon 
speaking  with  the  chief  of  government,  and  neither  the 
usher's  insulting  glances  nor  his  own  impatience,  which 
was  great,  sufficed  to  make  him  give  up  his  design. 

At  last  the  screen  was  opened,  and  out  came  a  group 
of  deputies,  and  among  them  the  President  with  his  hat 
on,  and  every  appearance  of  being  about  to  leave  the 
building. 

"Ah!  Senor  Rivera,"  he  said,  as  he  caught  sight  of 
him.  "Excuse  me  ...  I  have  so  many  things  on  my 
mind  .  .  .  would  you  like  to  go  back  with  me  to  the 
office." 

"It  is  not  worth  while,"  said  Miguel,  taking  the  hint 
that  this  would  be  a  bore  to  the  grandee.  The  President 
took  him  familiarly  by  the  lappet  of  his  coat,  and  drew 
him  to  the  bay-window. 

' '  You  have  come  to  speak  with  me  about  the  district, 
eh  ?  How  are  things  going  with  you  ?  " 


258  MAXIMINA. 

"  Pretty  well,  I  think.  So  far  I  believe  that  I  have  no 
opponent." 

"  I  was  going  to  speak  of  that  very  thing.  I  was  think- 
ing of  writing  you  to  come  here.  I  am  very  glad  that 
you  have  anticipated  me.  Yesterday  I  was  told  that  there 
was  an  effort  making  to  put  in  Corrales  for  that  district." 

"  Who?     The  ex-minister  of  the  moderate  wing?" 

"The  same.  I  do  not  believe  that  he  has  any  show- 
ing there,  nor  that  the  government  needs  vx>  exert  great 
pressure  to  defeat  him,  but  it  is  well  to  be  on  the  safe 
side.  For  nothing  in  the  world  would  I  have  the  most 
genuine  representative  and  one  of  the  most  redoubtable 
advocates  of  moderatism,  manage  to  make  his  unwelcome 
way  into  our  house.  For  the  district  of  Serin  is  our  house, 
since  it  has  elected  Rios,  who  was  an  important  factor  in 
the  revolution.  Have  you  been  doing  much  work  ?  " 

"A  good  deal." 

"  Very  well !  then  one  of  these  days  suppose  you  bring 
to  me  all  the  data  which  you  have  collected,  the  names 
of  the  alcaldes 1  who  are  opposed  to  us,  and  those  of  the 
people  whom  the  government  can  influence.  Meantime, 
don't  give  up  for  a  moment.  Get  hold  of  the  friends 
who  gave  the  general  his  election ;  but  don't  put  much 
reliance  on  promises ;  try  to  keep  them  attached  to  you 
in  some  way,  either  by  offers  or  threats.  Let  us  leave  it 
that  you  will  bring  me  the  data,  shan't  we?  Adids, 
Rivera.  Don't  forget  the  road  to  this  house." 

He  took  his  leave  with  a  cordial  pressure  of  the  hand. 
Miguel,  just  as  before,  felt  perfectly  satisfied.  The  chief 
of  government  had  a  special  tact  for  making  his  dis- 
courtesies forgiven,  a  frank  and  affectionate  manner  which 
immediately  captivated  whoever  came  near  him. 

A  fortnight  passed  before  he  saw  him  again ;  for  the 
1  Civil  magistrates,  judges  or  mayors. 


MAXIMINA.  259 

two  times  that  he  went  there,  he  was  told  that  his  excel- 
lency could  not  receive  him  as  he  was  busy  with  the  sub- 
secretary. 

"  Hold!  Rivera,  I  know  that  you  have  been  here  twice 
already  ;  I  felt  it  to  the  bottom  of  my  heart  that  I  could 
not  see  you.  At  all  events,  the  matter  has  not  been  in  a 
pressing  hurry  hitherto.  Let  us  see !  Sit  down.  How 
do  you  find  the  district  ?  Has  Corrales  been  giving  you 
much  to  do  ?  " 

"  Not  much  up  to  the  present  time." 

"Indeed  ! "  said  the  President,  surprised.  "Well,  then  ; 
what  I  have  heard  is  a  very  different  story.  I  have  been 
told  that  he  is  moving  in  a  prodigious  way :  that  the 
clergy  are  working  for  him  decidedly,  and  that  some  of  our 
friends,  whom  apparently  Rios  has  not  been  able  or  has  not 
cared  to  serve,  have  gone  over  to  him  bag  and  baggage. 
.  .  .  But  it  is  possible  that  you  are  better  informed." 

"  Senor  Presidente,  the  letters  that  I  have  received 
from  there  say  nothing  of  all  this  ;  on  the  other  hand,  all 
the  general's  friends  assure  me  that,  as  he  is  agreeable  to 
my  candidacy  and  as  it  is  supported  by  the  government, 
it  is  impossible  for  a  moment  to  doubt  of  our  triumph." 

' '  In  spite  of  all  that,  it  is  proper  that  you  should  go 
there  in  person,  talk  with  them,  and  watch  the  election. 
Those  of  us  who  have  spent  a  few  years  in  public  life 
know  that  there  is  nothing  certain." 

"  That  is  very  good.  When  do  you  think  that  I  ought 
to  go  there  ?  " 

"  The  sooner  the  better  ;  but  before  you  go,  come  here, 
so  that  I  may  give  you  some  letters.  You  do  not  need 
one  to  the  governor,  for  he  has  known  for  some  time  that 
you  are  the  official  candidate.  Besides,  I  believe  that  you 
are  acquainted.  ..." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  knew  him  when  he  was  editor  of  La 
Iberia," 


260  MAXIMINA. 


XIX. 

Now  while  Miguel  was  busy  in  this  excitement  and  anx- 
iety, through  the  fear  of  approaching  ruin  to  his  fortunes, 
another  danger,  a  thousand  times  greater,  was  threatening 
him  without  his  knowledge. 

We  have  alread^y  seen  what  a  strange  liking  for  Maxi- 
mina  had  been  awakened  in  Don  Alfonso  Saavedra :  it 
can  be  compared  to  nothing  else  than  that  of  the  wolf,  of 
which  the  fable  tells  us,  who,  having  in  his  power  the 
whole  flock  of  a  rich  man,  went  to  devour  the  only  lamb 
owned  by  a  poor  man. 

As  the  Andalusian  caballero  was  not  a  man  to  be 
readily  defeated,  or  else  because  he  almost  always  found 
women  easy  to  conquer,  or  because  his  ostentatious  figure, 
his  fortune,  and  his  arrogance  made  him  bold  toward 
those  who  resisted  him,  he  remained  deeply  disgusted 
because  of  the  scene  at  the  party,  where  he  had  played  a 
part  so  supremely  ridiculous  in  his  own  eyes.  The  ab- 
solute lack  of  coquetry  which  was  noticeable  in  Rivera's 
wife,  was  what  mortified  him  most  of  all,  since  he  could 
not  even  invent  the  illusion  that  the  indifference  with 
which  she  had  received  his  gallantries  was  more  or  less 
fictitious. 

To  say  that  after  this  rebuff  his  ardor  greatly  increased, 
would  be  doing  little  honor  to  the  penetration  of  my  read- 
ers :  every  one  knows  that  disdain  is  far  from  being  the 
best  palliative  for  love,  and  that,  in  the  majority  of  the 
mad  passions  that  we  see  in  the  world,  self-love  comes 
in  with  a  respectable  contingent. 

Saavedra  did  not  lose  his  wits,  nor  did  he  even  make 
any  false  show  of  appearing  foolish,  like  Don  Quixote  in 
Sierra  Morena  ;  but  as  a  man  of  sagacity,  accomplished  in 


MAXIMINA.  261 

adventures  of  this  sort,  he  determined  not  to  lose  again 
his  self-possession,  and  to  "establish  the  blockade  "  of 
the  place  according  to  the  rules  which  his  experience  had 
laid  down. 

Quickly  reading  through  Maximina's  character,  he 
divined  that  in  her  case  there  would  be  no  use  for  that 
amiability  stuffed  with  arrogance,  that  politeness  imbued 
with  disdain,  which  he  had  employed  in  winning  his 
cousin  Julia's  love.  This  serene,  serious,  and  humble 
nature  could  not  be  attacked  on  the  side  of  vanity :  he 
must  aim  at  her  affections.  He  proposed,  therefore,  to 
win  her  little  by  little  ;  not  in  the  guise  of  a  rejected  lover, 
which  he  well  knew  would  be  to  lose  forever  her  esteem, 
but  as  a  sincere,  affectionate,  and  helpful  friend.  He 
tried  with  all  his  power  to  dispel  the  suspicions  which 
the  conversation  at  the  party  might  have  left  in  the  young 
wife's  mind.  He  quickly  discovered  that  the  excitement 
under  which  she  was  at  that  time  laboring  had  prevented 
her  from  noticing  his  attempt  to  flirt  with  her ;  and  he 
was  enabled  at  his  leisure  to  carry  out  the  plan  of  the 
campaign  which  he  had  designed. 

He  began  gradually  to  make  more  and  more  frequent 
calls  at  their  house,  skilfully  overcoming  the  antipathy 
which  Miguel  had  not  the  power  to  dissemble.  To  ac- 
complish this,  he  allowed  him  to  notice  a  certain  change 
in  his  behavior,  in  harmony  with  those  ideas  of  peace, 
order,  and  propriety,  which  are  characteristic  of  family 
life  ;  he  had  some  confidential  conversations  with  him,  in 
which  he  announced  himself  as  a  man  who  loathed  a  cor- 
rupt life,  and  was  weary  of  the  snaring  pleasures  of  the 
world  ;  in  order  to  flatter  his  literary  and  scientific  tastes, 
he  borrowed  certain  books  of  him ;  and,  after  reading 
them,  talked  about  them  long  and  enthusiastically,  which 
secretly  much  amused  Miguel.  Then,  more  than  ever,  he 


262  MAXIMINA. 

understood  and  did  not  cease  to  marvel  at  the  supine 
ignorance  of  so-called  "society  men."  Don  Alfonso  had 
never  in  his  life  read  much  besides  French  novels,  and 
sometimes  he  asked  questions  that  would  have  astonished 
any  schoolboy. 

"  He  is  one  of  our  most  distinguished  savages,"  said 
Miguel  to  his  wife,  speaking  of  this  new  taste  for  books. 

With  Maximina  our  Andalusian  entered  into  long  con- 
versations about  his  travels,  laying  special  stress  on  the 
domestic  customs  of  other  countries. 

"Just  think,"  he  said  (he  never  addressed  Maximina 
with  the  familiar  '  tuj  though  he  thus  addressed  Miguel) , 
"  in  England  they  eat  five  times  a  day.  In  the  morning 
they  breakfast  as  they  please ;  at  nine  or  ten  they  have  a 
meal  of  considerable  formality  ;  at  one,  another  still  more 
free  and  easy  ;  at  five  or  six  they  have  dinner ;  and  at 
bedtime  also  they  have  a  bite  of  something." 

Maximina,  as  a  good  housewife,  was  interested  in  these 
details,  asked  about  the  prices  of  provisions  and  of  rents ; 
and  she  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  libei'ty  given  to  the 
women  in  the  way  of  going  into  the  street  alone,  and  even 
travelling. 

"  Come  now,  that  is  the  great  country  for  Maximina," 
said  Miguel.  "  She  is  too  modest  to  go  alone  to  mass, 
and  3'et  the  church  is  only  a  step  away." 

The  young  wife  smiled,  in  embarrassment. 

"  "Well,  now,  yesterday  I  went  with  Juan  a  to  the  Calle 
de  Postas  to  buy  some  drawers." 

"  There  you  have  a  word  that  you  could  not  speak  in 
England  before  people." 

"Madre!  and  when  you  buy  them,  what  do  you  call 
for?" 

"  The}1  speak  it  to  the  clerk  as  a  confessional  secret." 
suggested  Miguel. 


MAXIMINA.  263 

"Don't  you  believe  him,"  replied  Saavedra,  laughing. 
"  For  those  ladies'  clerks  in  shops  are  not  '  people.'  " 

Meanwhile,  he  was  trying  to  get  her  interested  in  his 
own  private  affairs,  asking  her  advice,  and  often  follow- 
ing it. 

"  The  truth  is,  that  in  respect  of  good  advice  I  do  not 
miss  my  mother.  You  take  her  place  divinely,  Maxi- 
mina.  I  announce  myself  your  adopted  son,  though  I  am 
old  enough  to  be  your  father." 

"  But  you  are  not  as  obedient  as  I  should  like." 

"  Only  in  one  point,  as  you  well  know.  In  all  the  rest 
I  obey  blindly." 

The  point  was  marriage.  Maximina  did  not  cease  to 
urge  him  to  get  married. 

"  Hitherto  I  have  never  found  a  woman  who  would 
satisfy  me  for  a  wife,"  he  replied. 

"  Why  don't  you  marry  Julia?"  she  asked  one  day  at 
random,  with  the  ingenuous  frankness  characteristic  of  her. 

Don  Alfonso  was  a  trifle  confused. 

"Julia,  is  a  good  girl.  .  .  .  Very  well  educated  .  .  . 
she  is  talented  .  .  .  she  is  pretty  .  .  .  But  see  here !  con- 
fidentially, do  you  think  that  I  should  be  happy  with 
Julia  ?  " 

"  Why  not?  "  demanded  the  young  wife. 

Saavedra  kept  silent. a  few  minutes,  remaining  appar- 
ently lost  in  thought ;  then  he  said  :  — 

' '  You  will  readily  understand  that  as  you  are  her  sis- 
ter-in-law, and  I  am  her  cousin,  neither  of  us  can  with 
delicacy  speak  about  her  except  in  terms  of  praise,  which 
she  certainly  deserves  in  many  regards.  But  with  you  I 
have  the  courage  to  say  one  thing,  and  that  is  that  we  are 
not  congenial.  We  are  two.  .  .  ." 

And  Don  Alfonso  put  his  two  index  fingers  end  to  end. 

"  Why,  I  supposed  that  you  were  fond  of  each  other  !  " 


264  MAX1MINA. 

"  Yes,  we  are  fond  of  each  other,  but  .  .  .  between  this 
and  marriage  there  is  a  considerable  distance  ...  I  re- 
mind you  that  I  have  just  spoken  as  though  yon  were 
my  mother.  Don't  say  anything  of  this  to  Miguel.  He  is 
her  brother,  and  the  most  insignificant  thing  might  trouble 
him." 

In  this  insidious  manner  the  serpent  tried  to  make  his 
way  into  this  paradise.  And  he  succeeded  at  last.  As 
he  had  wisdom  enough  not  to  take  advantage  of  it,  he 
soon  acquired  a  certain  familiarity  in  visiting  at  their 
house,  but  always  at  the  time  when  Miguel  was  at  home  ; 
he  knew  perfectly  well  that  the  least  shadow  of  suspicion 
passing  through  his  mind  would  be  sufficient  to  put  an 
end  to  everything  —  God  only  knew  how  ! 

He  also  seized  upon  the  occasions  when  la  brigadiera 
and  Julia  were  going  to  call  on  the  young  couple  to 
accompany  them.  The  jealousy  which  the  Brigadier's 
daughter  had  felt  on  the  night  of  the  party  had  com- 
pletely vanished  when  she  saw  the  brotherly  familiarity 
with  which  he  treated  her  sister-in-law,  and  the  pains 
which  the  latter  took  to  bring  her  and  her  cousin  together, 
and  see  them  talk  by  themselves. 

"  It  was  through  you  that  I  got  married  ;  I  have  made 
up  my  mind  to  make  a  match  for  you,"  said  Maximina. 

"  Yes,  but  through  me  you  married  the  man  whom  you 
loved,"  replied  Julia,  with  a  laugh. 

"  You  love  Alfonso  also  ;  don't  try  to  deny  it,  Julita  !  " 
replied  Maximina,  kissing  her. 

On  the  other  hand,  Saavedra,  instead  of  breaking  the 
link  of  love  which  united  him  to  his  cousin,  had  drawn  it 
tighter  of  late,  perhaps  so  as  to  avoid  all  suspicion  of  his 
plan,  or,  possibly,  because  he  had  another  string  to  his 
bow,  and  wanted  to  manage  them  both  at  once  ;  for  any- 
thing might  be  expected  from  his  depraved  character. 


MAXIMINA.  265 

But  already  several  months  had  passed,  and  his  das- 
tardly undertaking  had  not  made  any  progress  at  all. 

To  be  sure,  in  Miguel's  house  he  each  day  gained  a 
more  secure  footing;  he  often  dined  with  them,  many 
evenings  he  dropped  in  for  a  social  chat,  and  on  others 
accompanied  them  to  the  theatre,  and  Maximiua  treated 
him  like  a  brother.  But  this  was  the  very  thing  that 
annoyed  the  caballero :  in  that  house  he  was  treated  like 
a  future  brother.  The  young  wife  had  not  been  convinced 
by  his  denial,  and  when  she  saw  that  he  still  kept  up  his 
attentions  to  Julia,  she  came  to  believe  that  he  had  denied 
it  either  out  of  hypocrisy  or  from  a  spirit  of  opposition, 
but  that  in  reality  he  was  deeply  in  love  with  his  cousin  ; 
and  there  was  reason  for  this,  since  Julia  (as  Maximina 
believed)  was  the  most  beautiful  and  fascinating  girl  in 
Madrid.  > 

After  the  happy  birth  of  Maximina's  son,  Saavedra 
behaved  like  a  consistent  friend,  offering  such  services 
as  were  in  his  power,  coming  daily  to  make  inquiries  ;  in 
short,  showing  so  much  attachment  and  affection  to  the 
young  couple  that  Maximina's  tender  heart  responded 
with  affectionate  gratitude,  as  was  perfectly  natural. 

Maximina  was  now  more  graceful  and  beautiful  than 
ever ;  like  all  women  who  are  really  born  to  be  wives  and 
mothers,  and  are  married  to  the  men  whom  they  love,  the 
august  crisis  through  which  she  had  passed  had  been 
advantageous  to  her  in  every  way.  It  was  hard  to  rec- 
ognize in  this  handsome  young  woman,  with  rosy  cheeks 
and  sweet  brilliant  eyes,  the  pale  and  timid  maiden  of 
Pasajes. 

The  Andalusian  caballero  was  gradually  growing  more 
and  more  impatient.  The  first  part  of  his  strategy  had 
been  carried  out  point  by  point,  as  he  had  foreseen  ;  he 
had  won  Maximina's  esteem  and  even  affection. 


266  MAXIMINA. 

The  second  part  remained,  but  this  was  the  most  dif- 
ficult and  dangerous  in  its  execution,  the  most  tempting 
in  its  result. 

How  should  he  begin? 

In  spite  of  his  inconceivable  pride,  Don  Alfonso  had  a 
foreboding  that  he  was  destined  to  failure  from  the  very 
first,  and  he  kept  putting  off  the  attack  so  as  not  to  do  it 
rashly. 

Nevertheless,  as  his  passion  and  impatience  kept  grow- 
ing each  day  more  impetuous,  and  he  was  not  a  man  ever 
to  be  found  wanting  in  audacity,  he  tried  the  experiment 
of  giving  her  a  few  muffled  gallantries,  and  these  the 
young  wife  received  as  the  jokes  of  a  pampered  friend  ; 
then  again,  he  would  sometimes  press  her  hand  a  little  too 
warmly  when  he  greeted  her,  touch  her  foot  lightly  under 
the  table,  and  even  pulled  out  a  hair  or  two  stealthily, 
while  her  lord  and  master  was  dozing  in  his  easy-chair. 

Maximina  at  first  supposed  that  these  things  were  acci- 
dental, and  paid  no  attention  to  them  ;  but  as  the  Anda- 
lusian  persisted  in  them,  she  was  a  little  startled,  though 
without  having  any  clear  idea  of  the  danger,  and  she  tried 
to  keep  him  at  a  distance,  and  from  that  time  she  began 
to  have  a  vague  fear. 

Though  his  first  efforts  met  with  results  so  far  from 
flattering,  still  Don  Alfonso  was  completely  infatuated, 
and  though  he  would  not  have  been  willing  to  confess  it, 
he  was  very  near  losing  his  self-possession  in  which  he 
took  such  pride,  and  ready  to  "  throw  discretion  out  of 
the  window." 

How  this  came  about  we  shall  soon  see. 

Miguel  was  very  particular  that  his  son  should  have 
plenty  of  fresh  air ;  he  was  full  of  modern  theories  of 
education,  and  believed  that  children  ought  to  live  as 
much  as  oossible  out  of  doors  from  the  earliest  infancy. 


MAXIMINA.  267 

Thus,  as  soon  as  Maximina  was  able  to  go  out,  he  began 
to  take  long  walks  with  her  through  the  Retire.  How 
happy  our  little  mother  was  in  having  her  husband  at  her 
side,  and  her  baby  in  front  of  her  ! 

And  what  a  baby  he  was ! 

It  was  necessary  to  have  followed  his  progress  step  by 
step,  as  she  had  for  a  month  and  a  half,  to  appreciate  the 
portentous  gifts  with  which  he  was  endowed,  and  the 
boundless  resources  of  his  unequalled  genius.  She  would 
have  been  greatly  offended  had  any  one  insinuated  that  he 
still  sucked  his  fingers  when  he  accidentally  thrust  them 
into  his  mouth ;  nothing  of  the  kind  !  after  he  had  been  a 
fortnight  in  this  vale  of  tears,  he  had  raised  his  thumb 
to  his  mouth  with  the  set  and  deliberate  intention  of 
sucking  it,  for  nothing  else.  But  this  did  not  signify  in 
the  least  that  the  said  thumb  was  as  satisfactory  to  him 
as  his  mamma's  breast ;  he  did  it  simply  to  amuse  himself 
in  moments  of  diversion.  His  exquisite  and  delicate 
taste  was  equally  well  shown  by  his  energetic  refusal  to 
take  the  porridge  which  Juana  had  the  impudence  to  offer 
him  one  day  when  his  mother  was  having  a  nap. 

The  angry  expression  of  his  face  and  the  screams  with 
which  he  received  the  proposition  gave  no  room  for  doubt ; 
he  would  have  preferred  to  die  of  hunger  rather  than  run 
the  risk  of  spoiling  his  digestion  by  such  unsubstantial 
and  harmful  concoctions. 

But  the  thing  in  which  he  best  showed  his  practical 
talent,  as  well  as  the  perfection  of  his  character,  was 
in  sleeping.  As  soon  as  he  was  born  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  was  going  to  sleep  twenty  hours  a  day 
at  the  very  least ;  all  that  was  done  to  dissuade  him  from 
this  intention  was  in  vain  ;  apparently  he  had  weighty 
physiological  reasons  for  carrying  it  out.  When  unfortu- 
nately any  attention  to  him  or  attempt  to  keep  him  awake 


268  MAXIMINA. 

disturbed  his  plan,  he  would  raise  his  voice  to  heaven, 
and  the  house  in  commotion. 

Miguel  would  be  the  first  to  run  to  his  aid,  would  take 
him  in  his  arms  and  begin  to  walk  up  and  down  the 
corridors  furiously,  with  the  expectation  —  deluded  man! 
—  of  putting  him  to  sleep  in  that  manner.  The  infant 
kept  protesting  more  and  more  obstreperously  against 
any  such  unsatisfactory  method  ;  the  father  would  grow 
nervous  after  some  time,  and  lest  he  should  "dash 
him  against  the  wall,"  he  would  turn  him  over  to  Juaua's 
secular  arm,  but  she  rarely,  also,  had  the  good  fortune  to 
calm  him.  It  was  necessary  to  hand  him  over  to  his 
mother,  who  possessed  in  her  beautiful  and  bounteous 
bosom  the  secret  of  putting  to  flight  all  his  gloomy 
thoughts  and  making  him  see  the  world  through  rose- 
colored  spectacles. 

"  But  is  this  little  monster  always  going  to  look  to  his 
mamma  for  his  food?''  asked  Miguel,  anxiously. 

Maximina  smiled,  and  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  gave 
her  son  a  kiss,  as  if  to  say  that  she  was  ready  to  give  a 
thousand  lives  for  him. 

But  when  it  was  least  expected,  Juana,  rich  in  contriv- 
ances like  Ulysses,  found  one  which,  for  its  novelty  and 
efficacy,  left  all  others  far  behind. 

And  like  the  majority  of  fertile  and  wonderful  inven- 
tions it  had  the  additional  merit  of  being  simple.  It  con- 
sisted in  holding  the  child  in  her  arms  with  its  mouth  up, 
and  dandling  him  up  and  down  gently,  and  singing  in 
rhythmic  motion  a  certain  melody. 

We  have  always  been  desirous  that  great  inventions 
with  results  of  practical  use  to  humanity  should  be  spread 
abroad  as  soon  as  possible.  Consequently,  we  shall  not 
have  the  selfishness  to  hide  this  most  original  as  well  as 
simple  expedient,  which  possibly  the  reader  may  be  able 


MAXIMI2TA.  269 

to  put  to  trial  some  day  —  I  hope  so  with  all  my  heart. 
The  words  of  the  song  are  these  :  — 

Byelow !  baby,  byelow ! 
See  the  wild  hen  fly  low ! 
There  at  last  upon  the  mast, 
Swaying,  swinging  high  low!1 

As  to  the  music,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  success 
was  not  attained  by  that  altogether.  However,  any  one 
can  be  sure  of  obtaining  a  happy  result  provided  that — let 
this  be  thoroughly  understood  —  provided  that  it  be  re- 
peated a  number  of  tunes,  and  the  last  line  sung  in  a 
dying  tone.  For  the  stubborn  infant  to  hear  it,  and  to 
stop,  with  his  eyes  fixed  in  ecstatic  contemplation  of  no 
one  knew  what,  was  the  same  thing.  Perhaps  it  may 
have  been  the  terrible  hen  forever  swa3~ing  on  the  mast. 
The  one  thing  sure  was  that  those  little  eyes,  so  open  and 
terrified,  quickly  closed  in  the  softest  slumber :  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  house  drew  a  deep  sigh  of  satisfaction  : 
the  child  was  then  forthwith  carried  to  the  great  nuptial 
couch,  where  it  was  deposited  in  one  corner  like  a  bundle 
of  linen. 

I  say  that  at  first  Miguel  took  pleasure  in  going  out  to 
promenade  with  his  wife;  when  the  baby  was  hungry 
Maxirnina  would  nurse  him,  finding  a  seat  on  a  bench  in 
some  retired  spot;  then  they  would  go  into  a  "dairy" 
near  at  hand  and  get  some  chocolate. 

But  after  a  few  days  the  Brigadier's  sou,  either  because 
of  the  exigencies  of  business  or  because  he  desired  to 
chat  with  his  friends,  ceased  to  join  her,  suggesting  that 
she  go  alone  with  the  infant,  because,  under  no  consid- 

1  Ea,  ea,  ea, 
/Que  gallina  tan  fea  ! 
iComo  se  sube  al  polo! 
iCdmo  se  balanced! 


270  MAXIMINA. 

eratiou  would  he  consent  that  the  little  one  should  be 
deprived  of  fresh  air.  With  real  heartfelt  grief,  though 
she  concealed  it  as  much  as  possible,  she  yielded  to  this 
desire.  It  was  a  great  source  of  gain  to  the  child,  it  is 
true,  but  she  could  never  entirely  conquer  the  timidity  and 
fear  which  the  Madrid  streets  inspired  in  her  when  she 
went  out  without  her  husband. 

The  first  two  days  nothing  went  wrong  in  her  excur- 
sion ;  but  on  the  third,  as  she  was  walking  along  a 
lonely  path  in  the  Retiro  to  eat  a  bit  of  bread,  which  the 
nurse-girl  had  taken  on  purpose,  —  for  nothing  in  the 
world  would  have  tempted  her  to  enter  the  chocolate- 
house  alone,  —  she  unexpectedly  met  Saavedra.  Although 
she  had  seen  him  the  day  before  at  home,  she  felt  a  slight 
trembling,  without  knowing  why  ;  and  a  bright  blush  suf- 
fused her  face,  a  sign  which  was  not  displeasing  to  the 
Andalusian  dandy.  He  greeted  her  warmly,  caressed  the 
infant,  and,  without  asking  permission,  walked  along 
beside  her.  The  nurse-girl  respectfully  passed  on 
ahead. 

The  conversation  turned  on  the  ordinary  topics  of  the 
time,  the  healthfuluess  of  children  going  out,  etc.  Sud- 
denly Saavedra,  pausing,  asked  with  a  smile  :  — 

"  What  did  you  do  with  the  piece  of  bread  that  you 
were  eating,  Maximina?" 

The  young  woman  was  so  confused  that  she  did  not 
know  what  to  reply. 

"  I  am  certain  that  you  must  have  dropped  it  on  the 
ground.  Why  are  you  ashamed  to  eat  when  you  are  nurs- 
ing such  a  beautiful,  strong  baby  ?  " 

Enlivened  by  this  praise,  which  for  her  was  the  most 
delectable  that  could  be  given,  she  replied  :  — 

"  Well,  I  feel  a  little  weak  by  this  time  in  the  after- 
noon. ..." 


MAXIMINA.  271 

"  Dry  bread  isn't  very  appetizing,  my  dear.  Come  to 
the  chocolateria." 

"  Oh,  no  ;  I  do  very  well :  I  don't  care  for  chocolate." 

"  Don't  be  hypocritical.  When  you  go  out  with  Miguel, 
you  take  it  every  afternoon.  You  did  not  take  it  yester- 
day nor  the  day  before,  perhaps  because  you  did  not  dare 
to  go  in  alone.  .  .  .  Now,  you  will  say :  '  How  does 
Alfonso  know  all  these  things  ? ' ' 

"  Indeed,  I  do  not  understand.  ..." 

"  And  I  will  tell  you  very  softly"  (Don  Alfonso  brought 
his  lips  close  to  the  young  woman's  ear)  ;  "  because  I  have 
followed  you  those  afternoons." 

Maximina  felt  her  fear  increasing.  At  that  moment 
she  would  have  made  any  sacrifice  to  be  at  home.  She 
did  not  answer  a  word,  and  went  on  walking.  Don  Al- 
fonso likewise  remained  silent,  so  that  the  drop  of  poison 
might  do  its  work. 

When  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Maximina's  imag- 
ination had  been  sufficiently  stirred,  he  brought  the  con- 
versation back  to  where  it  had  begun  ;  that  is,  to  ordi- 
nary commonplaces.  He  introduced  a  familiar  chat  as 
between  two  intimate  friends,  asking  mam-  questions 
about  the  baby,  as  that  was  a  most  convenient  theme  and 
most  likely  to  please  the  young  woman ;  he  made  affec- 
tionate fun  of  her ;  he  touched  upon  his  aunt  la  briga- 
diera's  foibles ;  finally,  by  great  skill,  he  tried  to  calm 
her  agitation,  so  as  to  restore  confidence  between  them. 
But  he  did  not  succeed ;  Maximina  was  still  nervous, 
although  she  exerted  great  force  to  hide  it ;  and  she 
replied  to  his  questions  in  a  hoarse  and  altered  voice. 
However,  in  the  course  of  time  and  by  much  diplomacy, 
Saavedra  partially  calmed  her.  He  besought  her  again 
with  impetuous  entreaties  to  go  to  the  chocolateria;  but 
she  declined  absolutely,  and  insisted  that  it  was  time  to 
go  home,  though  this  was  not  true. 


272  MAXIMINA. 

The  sun  was  still  pouring  his  rays  along  the  sanded 
walks ;  a  mild  and  perfumed  breeze  breathed  through 
the  air,  presaging  the  approach  of  spring ;  the  swelling 
buds  on  the  trees  likewise  joyously  told  the  tale.  Many 
elegantly  dressed  children,  with  long  curls  touching  their 
shoulders,  were  seen  trundling  hoops  and  tossing  ball, 
followed  by  their  parents  or  guardians.  Maximina  had 
said  to  herself  many  times  on  other  days :  ' '  When  mine 
will  be  here  too !  "  But  now  she  saw  them  pass  in  front 
of  her,  and  yet  scarcely  perceived  them,  so  deep  was 
the  agitation  that  swayed  her. 

Don  Alfonso  had  been  trying  for  some  time  to  keep 
her  back  ;  but  the  more  he  insisted  on  her  remaining,  the 
more  anxious  she  was  to  be  going. 

Now  then,  as  he  was  walking  toward  the  entrance  of 
the  Retiro  and  considering  on  the  one  hand  how  soon  he 
would  be  obliged  to  leave  her,  and  on  the  other  that  the 
step  that  he  had  taken  was  too  bold  for  him  to  be  able  to 
retrieve  it,  he  resolved  "  to  throw  the  fish  into  the  water"  ; 
and  so  he  said,  pausing  again  :  — 

"  All  this  time  you  have  not  asked  me  why  I  followed 
you  these  last  afternoons." 

The  young  wife  felt  herself  trembling  more  violently 
than  ever,  her  face  grew  pale,  her  legs  failed  under  her. 
She  did  not  wish  or  was  not  able  to  find  words  to  answer 
his  question. 

"  Then  I  am  going  to  tell  you  ;  because  I  feel  for  you, 
Maximina,  what  hitherto  I  have  never  felt  for  any  woman 
in  this  world.  From  the  very  beginning  of  my  acquaint- 
ance with  you,  I  have  been  inspired  with  a  lively  admira- 
tion, irresistible,  all-controlling.  Afterward,  I  perceived 
that  this  admiration  was  rapidly  changing  into  love,  and  I 
struggled  with  all  my  might  to  resist  it.  It  was  useless. 
—  I  have  known  many  women  ;  I  have  loved,  or  believed 


MAXIMINA.  273 

that  1  loved,  a  few ;  but  I  swear  to  you  that  the  feeling 
which  they  inspired  was  very  different  from  that  which 
now  dominates  me.  I  met  them  on  equal  terms,  I  saw 
their  good  points  and  their  defects,  I  admired,  and  was 
kindled  by  their  beauty ;  but  now  !  now,  it  is  not  alone 
love  which  I  feel,  it  is  a  deep  adoration  for 'your  simple 
and  open  nature,  a  respect  which  until  now  tied  my  tongue, 
although  the  secret  struggled  to  escape.  In  my  eyes  you 
might  have  read  it  whenever  I  looked  at  you.  It  is  months 
since  my  heart  has  thus  been  filled  by  your  beauty  and 
goodness,  Maximina.  ..." 

This  gentle  caballero  said  all  this  string  of  gush  with 
trembling  lip  and  excited  gestures,  such  as  are  the  stock 
in  trade  of  seducers,  provided  they,  like  him,  are  "men 
of  the  world."  Observation  has  taught  me  that  the  "  men 
of  the  world "  who  have  been  called  dandies,  fops,  and 
dudes1  are  not  espirituales,  or,  to  avoid  a  Gallicism,  do 
not  speak  with  any  greater  wit  and  grace  than  in  novels. 
In  life,  and  above  all  when  they  are  shaken  from  that  lan- 
guid and  blas6  appearance  characteristic  of  them,  they  are 
apt  to  be  as  vulgar  and  absurd  as  the  latest  medical  student. 

Poor  Maximina  was  so  disturbed  at  hearing  this  amo- 
rous jargon,  of  which  she  understood  only  the  general 
tenor,  that  her  pallor  changed  to  a  livid  hue,  then  the 
blood  rushed  suddenly  to  her  face,  her  eyes  grew  dim, 
and  she  was  ready  to  fall. 

By  what  seemed  like  an  automatic  movement  which  she 
afterward  could  not  explain,  she  abruptly  quitted  her 
companion,  and  started  to  run,  crying:  "  Placida  !  Pla- 
cida  !  "  until  she  caught  up  with  her,  and  then  she  said  :  — 

"  Run,  run  !  how  ill  I  feel !  " 

Both  ran  quite  a  while,  until  fatigue  compelled  them  to 
relax  their  efforts  ;  but  by  this  time  they  were  a  long  dis- 
1  Lyones,  in  Spanish. 


274  MAXIMINA. 

tance  from  Saavedra,  who  stood  in  the  same  spot,  full  of 
amazement  and  chagrin  at  her  sudden  and  unexpected 
flight. 

A  severe  lecture,  premeditated  and  prepared,  in  judg- 
ment on  such  imprudence  and  dastardly  meanness  as  Don 
Alfonso  had' just  committed,  could  not  have  been  more 
hard  and  cruel  than  that  desertion.  Maximina,  without 
being  aware  of  it,  had  not  onl}-  preserved  her  dignity,  but 
had  inflicted  on  the  insolent  fellow  the  punishment  which 
is  severest  in  such  cases  —  that  of  making  him  seem  ridic- 
ulous. 

Saavedra  remained  rooted  to  the  ground  with  rage, 
until  seeing  some  promenaders  approaching,  and  gazing 
at  him  with  curiosity  and  then  turning  around  to  look  at 
the  fleeing  women,  he  wheeled  about  and  strode  away 
from  the  place. 

Fortunately,  when  Maximina  reached  home,  Miguel 
was  still  away  ;  if  he  had  been  there,  on  seeing  her  so 
excited,  he  would  have  made  some  inquiries,  and  per- 
haps have  even  become  suspicious.  She  had  time  to  get 
a  little  calmed  ;  the  servants  really  believed  that  she  had 
had  an  ill  turn,  and  so  did  Miguel  himself  when  it  came 
dinner  time. 

Nevertheless,  that  night  and  the  following  day  the 
young  wife  was  very  nervous ;  she  did  not  know  what 
course  to  take.  For  the  present  she  determined  not  to 
go  out  walking  alone  any  more,  under  the  pretext  that 
she  was  afraid  she  might  be  attacked  by  another  faint 
turn.  But  if  Don  Alfonso  should  come  to  call  upon  her, 
how  should  she  present  herself  before  him?  She  was 
certain  that  she  should  appear  disturbed  ;  her  disgust  and 
fear  of  him  were  so  great  that  in  spite  of  her  they  would 
appear  in  her  face. 

It  happened  that  Don  Alfonso  realized  the  same  thing, 


MAXIMINA.  275 

and  ceased  corning  to  Miguel's  house.  But  Miguel, 
accustomed  to  see  him  frequently,  called  attention  to  his 
absence,  and  said,  while  they  were  at  table  :  — 

"  It  is  a  number  of  days  since  Alfonso  has  shown  up." 

Maximina  made  no  reply,  and  went  on  eating,  with  her 
head  down.  After  a  moment  he  added  :  — 

"I  should  be  glad  if  he  did  not  come  an}r  more.  In 
spite  of  all  my  efforts  I  cannot  endure  that  man.  Wednes- 
day, they  tell  me,  he  fought  a  duel  which,  in  my  opinion, 
was  a  piece  of  sheer  cowardice.  He  fought  with  an  engi- 
neer, who  never  in  his  life  had  been  used  to  weapons ; 
and.  of  course,  wounded  him  dangerously  at  the  first 
encounter.  A  man  who  goes  out  to  fight  with  a  cer- 
tainty that  such  is  going  to  be  the  case  is  not  a  true 
man,  nor  can  he  be  called  even  decent." 

"  Oh  !  there  is  no  doubt  about  that,"  Maximina  would 
have  said,  with  the  greatest  unction. 

But  she  did  not  dare.  The  poor  girl  imagined  that 
Saavedra  would  not  take  any  more  thought  about  her. 
Without  her  adored  Miguel  having  had  any  annoyance 
whatever,  everything  had  come  out  satisfactorily.  Little 
did  the  ingenuous  young  wife  know  of  the  nature  of 
human  passions.  She  was  soon  to  learn  to  her  sorrow, 
what  pride  and  revenge  united  are  capable  of  attempting. 

XX. 

IT  happened  to  be  about  this  very  time  that  Enrique 
made  up  his  mind  "  to  drag  the  honor  and  good  name  of 
his  family  through  the  mire."  In  fact,  he  presented  him- 
self one  afternoon  at  Miguel's  house,  and  confided  to 
him  his  project,  telling  him  with  tears  in  his  eyes  that  it 
was  not  his  intention  to  drag  anything  through  the  mire, 
and  far  less  the  honor  of  the  f amity,  but  simply  to  fulfil 


276  MAXIMINA. 

the  bond  which  he  had  undertaken,  and  the  words  which 
he  had  given  to  Manolita. 

"I  am  a  gentleman,  Miguel.  I  cannot  decently  go 
back  on  this  little  girl.  Put  yourself  in  my  place.  I  am 
well  aware  that  my  family  are  right  in  opposing  this  mar- 
riage, but  I  swear  to  you  that  it  is  not  my  wish  to  injure 
its  good  name.  Why  should  I  ?  What  good  would  it  do 
me  to  drag  it  through  the  mire,  I  should  like  to  know !  " 

"That  is  evident;  you  have  no  occasion  to  revenge 
yourself  on  the  good  name  of  your  family." 

"Of  course  not!" 

Then  with  much  hesitation  and  timidity  he  confessed 
that  he  had  a  plan.  It  cost  great  trouble  to  make  him 
reveal  it. 

Finally,  by  dint  of  entreaties,  he  declared  that  if  Maxi- 
raiua  would  do  him  the  honor  of  being  the  madrina  at  his 
wedding  he  should  consider  himself  the  happiest  mortal  in 
the  universe.  After  he  had  said  that  he  repented,  the 
more  as  he  saw  that  Miguel  remained  lost  in  thought ;  he 
then  became  so  conscience-stricken  that  he  flung  his  hat 
on  the  floor,  and  began  to  call  himself  names,  and  tear 
his  hair. 

"What  does  this  mean,  Enrique?  Have  you  gone 
mad?  As  far  as  I  am  concerned  there  is  no  objection  to 
it  in  the  least.  Ask  her  yourself,  and  if  she  consents,  it 
is  done." 

"  No,  I  won't  ask  her.  Manolita  is  an  honest  girl,  but 
of  a  very  humble  station  in  life.  All  those  who  will  be 
present  at  the  wedding  will  be  also  '  children  of  the  peo- 
ple.' '  The  lowest  of  the  low,'  do  you  see,  my  lad?  We 
must  call  things  by  their  right  names.  Your  wife  will  not 
want  to  be  there,  and  right  she  is." 

Miguel  got  up  from  his  chair,  went  to  the  door,  and 
shouted :  — 


MAXIMINA.  277 

"  Maximina! " 

Instantly  the  little  wife  appeared. 

"Enrique  has  come  to  ask  you  to  be  madrina  at  his 
wedding.  Will  you  accept  his  invitation?" 

"  Oh !  and  so  you  are  to  be  married,  are  you  ?  Then  I 
think  that  I  should  be  very  much  pleased  to  be  madrina." 

Enrique's  face  lighted  up  as  though  at  that  instant  he 
had  seen  a  procession  of  all  the  angels,  archangels,  thrones, 
and  dominions  of  Heaven  ;  but  suddenly  growing  serious, 
he  replied,  a  little  stiffly  :  — 

••  Xo,  Maximina,.  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  be  madrina. 
People  of  your  station  will  not  be  present  at  my  wed- 
ding." 

The  young  matron  looked  at  him  in  surprise  :  — 

"Of  my  station?" 

"Yes;  only  women  of  the  common  people  will  be 
there  :  fish-wives,  fruit-women,  tavern  keepers'  wives,  etc." 

"  What  difference  does  it  make  to  me  who  comes?  I 
will  be  madrina  if  you  wish.  Do  you  take  me  for  some 
princess  ?  " 

"An  angel  is  what  you  are!"  exclaimed  Enrique,  in- 
stantly losing  his  senses :  as  proof  of  it,  his  hat,  which 
just  before  he  had  dashed  to  the  floor,  he  now  flung  to  the 
ceiling,  then  he  immediately  sprang  after  it  into  the  air, 
making  three  or  four  portentous  pirouettes  :  quickly  real- 
izing the  enormity  of  his  behavior,  he  took  Maximina's 
hands,  and  began  to  kiss  them  in  a  perfect  frenzy. 

"You  will  forgive  me  this  sudden  freak,  won't  3~ou, 
Miguel?  Your  wife  is  better  than  if  she  were  made  of 
gold  and  diamonds  !  " 

"  I  suppose  so ;  what  could  I  do  with  a  wife  made  of 
gold  and  diamonds  ?  " 

' '  Man  alive !  don't  be  so  literal ;  that  is  a  saying ! 
Maximina,  every  one  speaks  so  well  of  ycm  ,  .  .  even  my 


278  MAXIMINA. 

sister  Eulalia,  which  means  a  great  deal,  as  you  can 
imagine.  But  no  one  knows  what  your  worth  is !  As 
soon  as  I  take  part  in  another  corrida,  I  will  present  you 
the  bull." 

"  No,  no,  Enrique,"  protested  Maximina,  laughing. 

The  young  man's  face  darkened. 

"  That  is  a  fact;  a  bull  killed  by  me  has  little  value. 
But  I  assure  you  that  I  am  going  to,  or  at  least  I  can  get 
Lagartijo,  the  great  Lagartijo  himself  to  present  you  one 
in  a  benefit  fight." 

"  You  misunderstood  me ;  I  said  no,  because  I  never 
go  to  bull-fights." 

"  What !  doesn't  Miguel  take  you?  Shameless  wretch  ! 
Never  you  mind,  child ;  leave  it  to  me,  and  at  the  first 
corrida  that  takes  place,  you  shan't  fail  of  a  private  box, 
or  at  least  two  front  seats." 

The  padrino  chosen  to  stand  with  Maximina  was  a  cav- 
alry captain,  an  old  comrade  of  the  bridegroom's. 

"I  am  afraid  that  he  may  not  be  to  your  mind, 
Madrina  "  (from  that  moment  till  the  end  of  his  days, 
Enrique  never  called  Miguel's  wife  anything  else)  ;  "for 
though  he  is  a  very  distinguished  man,  he  is  rather  a 
misogynist,1  do  you  see  ?  " 

"I  don't  understand  you.  .  .  ." 

Miguel  burst  into  a  laugh. 

"  That  is,  he  does  not  enjoy  ladies'  company." 

'"Ah,  very  good,"  rejoined  the  young  wife;  "I  will 
promise  not  to  trouble  him." 

"How  could  you  trouble  him,  star  of  the  morning?" 
exclaimed  Enrique,  losing  his  balance  again;  "It  is 
worth  more  to  hear  you  talk  than  Tamberlik.  in  the  credo 
of  '  11  Poliuto ' !  What  I  fear  is,  that  he  will  not  hold  his 
tongue." 

1  In  Spanish,  rena,  a  big  rock;  a  slang  expression. 


MAXIMINA.  279 

The  time  set  was  Wednesday,  and  the  hour  seven  in 
the  morning.  The  day  broke  clear  and  magnificent ;  in 
the  Madrid  streets  not  a  speck  of  mire  could  be  seen  ; 
that  which  soiled  the  good  name  of  the  Rivera  family 
was  purely  metaphorical.  Miguel  and  Maxirnina  went  to 
the  bridal  apartment,  which  was  the  third-story  room  on 
the  same  Calle  del  Bano,  not  facing  the  street. 

Enrique  had  rented  it  after  consultation  with  his  lady- 
love, and  had  furnished  it  little  by  little,  bringing  every 
day,  like  a  goldfinch,  his  bit  of  straw  in  his  bill :  one  day 
the  wardrobe  ;  another,  a  table  ;  another,  a  couple  of  cane- 
seated  chairs  ;  and  then  again,  a  few  dozen  of  dishes  ;  and 
so  on.  The  nest  was  plain  and  small,  but  pleasant,  like 
all  that  is  new  and  prepared  for  and  by  love. 

Enrique  had  not  told  a  falsehood  :  no  lady  was  present 
or  gentleman  in  dress-coat,  except  the  padrino,  who  had 
one  on,  though  it  was  the  worse  for  wear,  to  be  sure.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  worthy  women  who  were  present,  and 
the  handsome  young  chulas,  showed  in  their  dress  a  pic- 
turesque magnificence  very  pleasant  to  see, — rich  mantles 
of  burate,  brocaded  in  a  thousand  colors,  and  reaching 
iihnost  to  the  floor ;  over  that  lace  or  plush  mantillas, 
unlimited  shoes  of  patent  leather ;  in  their  ears  huge 
pearl  pendants  ;  on  their  fingers  enormous  diamond  rings. 
The  arrangement  of  the  hair  was  in  almost  all  cases  the 
same  —  parted  in  the  middle,  the  hair  on  the  crown 
bunched  up  behind,  and  little  corkscrew  curls  at  the 
temples. 

The  men  for  the  most  part  wore  a  short  coat  and  nar- 
row-brimmed hat;  but  there  were  quite  a  number  of 
toreros,  friends,  all  of  them,  of  the  bridegroom  ;  and  they 
wore  well-girdled  jackets  of  velvet  or  broadcloth,  accord- 
ing to  their  standing  in  the  art,  tight-fitting  pantaloons, 
and  embroidered  shirts  with  huge  brilliants  in  the  bosom. 


280  MAXIMINA. 

Miguel  was  the  only  member  of  the  family  that  graced 
the  occasion.  Julita,  who  had  been  told  of  it  by  her 
brother,  wanted  to  go,  but  her  mother  forbade  it.  Enrique 
likewise  did  not  invite  his  friends  in  his  own  rank  of 
society,  for  the  reason  that  he  gave  Maximina ;  that  is, 
because  he  did  not  want  to  mortif}-  them. 

When  Miguel's  wife  made  her  appearance,  a  murmur 
of  respect  and  admiration  went  round  among  the  guests ; 
some  among  them  were  polite  enough  to  take  off  their 
hats.  Manolita,  who,  be  it  said  parenthetically,  was 
exquisite  in  her  black  merino  dress  and  velvet  mantilla, 
when  she  saw  her  come  in,  was  as  confused  as  though  it 
had  been  the  queen,  and  went  to  meet  her,  trembling  and 
with  her  face  aflame. 

"  Senorita.  ...  I  am  much  obliged.  .  .  .  How  do 
you  do?" 

"  But,"  our  readers  will  say,  "  have  we  not  insisted 
that  Manolita  was  a  bold  and  redoubtable  chula,  if  there 
are  such  ?  " 

Now  then,  you  shall  see  ;  the  majority  of  these  chulas 
are  really,  to  use  the  vulgar  expression,  '  unfortunates ' ; 
their  exterior  is  the  only  terrible  thing  about  them. 

The  strange  thing  in  this  case  was  that  Maximina  was 
as  confused  and  flushed  as  Manolita  was.  Instead  of 
having  a  haughty  look  or  affecting  a  condescending  ex- 
pression as  many  ladies  would  have  done  to  find  herself 
among  a  set  of  plebeians,  our  little  matron  acted  as 
though  she  were  just  making  her  appearance  in  an  assem- 
bly of  princes. 

The   procession  started  on   its  march  to   San   Josh's. 

But  before  we  forget  it,  let  us  say  that  among  the 
guests  was  dexterous  Jos6  Calzada  (a)  el  Cigarrero,  with 
his  b/rnd,  which  unfortunately  missed  the  congenial  Bal- 
donxero.  The  famous  bull-slayer  respectfully  shook 


MAXIMINA.  281 

hands  .with  Maximina,  and  she,  who  had  shed  tears 
when  Miguel  described  the  death  of  Servanito,  gave  him 
a  look  that  spoke  louder  than  words  the  admiration  which 
his  noble  conduct  had  inspired  in  her. 

Manolita  also  introduced  her  father  to  her,  that  awe- 
inspiring  Cyclops  whose  acquaintance  we  have  already 
made  ;  fortunately  he  had  not  as  yet  had  a  chance  to  get 
tipsy ;  to  greet  her  he  doffed  his  sombrero,  which  must 
have  weighed  half  an  arro&a,1  and  emitted  a  series  of  such 
odious  grunts  that  Miguel's  wife  was  frozen  with  terror. 

The  house  in  the  Calle  del  Baiio  was  all  in  commotion 
with  this  wedding.  The  procession  escorting  the  pair 
made  an  infernal  noise  clattering  down  the  stairs;  the 
neighbors  opened  their  doors  to  watch  them  pass.  In 
the  street,  also,  the  people  stopped,  and  shouts,  "  A 
wedding  !  a  wedding  !  "  and  the  questions  of  the  passers- 
by  were  heard. 

"  Who  are  they,"  demanded  an  old  shopkeeper. 

"  A  milkmaid  marrying  a  seiiorito  :  look  ;  that's  him  in 
front,"  replied  a  chula,  who  had  stopped  in  front  of  the 
shop. 

"And  the  bride?" 

"  There  she  goes  in  the  middle  of  'em  all,  walking  with 
a  senorita  !  " 

"Handsome  piece!  The  senorito  shows  good  taste. 
I  would  not  object  to  marrying  her  myself." 

"  Aha  !     That  would  be  a  good  one,  wouldn't  it !  " 

"  Well,  I'd  take  you,  Barbiana  !  " 

"Ay!  You'd  see  me  die  first!  My  dear  old  fellow, 
'  Young  sheep  and  old  bell-wether  never  get  along  to- 
gether.'"2 

1  A  Spanish  weight  of  twenty-five  pounds. 

2  Perro  nuevo  y  perro  viejo, 
Xunca  han  hecho  buen  trebejo. 

Literally:  young  dog  and  old  dog  never  play  together  well. 


282  MAXIMINA. 

"  Seiiorita,"  Manolita  was  meantime  saying  to  her 
madrina,  "  I  can  never  repay  you  for  the  honor  which 
you  are  doing  me.  Enrique  was  right  in  praising  3-011  !  " 

"Oh,  for  Heaven's  sake  don't  call  me  senorita;  I  am 
your  cousin  ;  I  want  you  to  call  me  Maximina  ;  say  '  thou ' 
to  me." 

"  Oh,  I  could  never  do  that !  What  I  am  going  to  ask 
you  as  a  special  favor  is,  that  when  we  get  home,  you 
will  let  me  give  you  a  dozen  kisses." 

Maximiua  smiled,  and  pressed  her  hand  affectionately. 

The  priest  blessed  the  union  Of  the  couple  in  the  sac- 
risty ;  then  they  went  into  the  church  and  heard  mass 
and  took  the  sacrament. 

When  they  went  out  into  the  street,  the  clock  was  just 
striking  eight.  The  procession  had  greatly  increased ; 
there  were  more  than  sixty  people  surrounding  the  bridal 
couple.  As  it  was  impossible  for  so  many  to  drink  choc- 
olate in  the  rooms  in  the  Calle  del  Bano,  it  had  already 
been  decided  days  before  that  they  should  go  to  the  Cafe" 
de  Cervantes,  which  is  near  the  church.  They  accordingly 
went  in  there,  and  almost  completely  filled  it.  A  most 
animated  conversation  sprang  up  on  all  sides,  so  that  soon 
no  one  could  hear  himself  talk. 

Enrique,  flushed  with  emotion,  sat  down  at  one  table 
with  Miguel,  and  began  to  unburden  himself  with  remark- 
able verbosity :  — 

"  I  know  well  enough,  Miguel,  that  I  might  have  mar- 
ried a  senorita,  but  don't  you  see,  I  have  never  cared  at 
all  about  senoritas?  They  say  the  ti-ouble  is  that  I 
haven't  any  conversation.  It  may  be  so.  We  shall  see  ; 
Miguelillo,  isn't  my  flamingo  worth  all  the  sugar-paste 
senoritas  of  the  upper  ten?  And  besides,  she  knows  how 
to  work,  and  that  is  more  than  any  of  these  high-flyers 
know  how  to  do ;  and  she  can  live  on  two  pesetas  a  day, 


MAXIMINA.  283 

and  she  can  put  a  shawl  on  her  head  —  do  you  understand? 
and  take  her  place  in  the  Plaza  de  la  Cebada,1  where  veg- 
etables are  the  cheapest ;  and  when  we  go  to  the  theatre, 
we  shan't  have  to  get  a  box  or  seats  in  the  parquet. 
From  the  gallery  we  can  see  the  play  well  enough,  and 
be  well  satisfied  ;  and  if  it  is  necessary,  she  can  cook  the 
dinner,  and  there  is  no  need  of  going  with  her  every  day 
making  calls.  That  comes  in  hand}-,  my  bo}- !  You  see, 
I  am  going  to  have  forty-three  duros'  pay  now  that  I  am 
in  the  active  service ;  my  rooms  will  cost  seven ;  that 
leaves  thirty-six.  We  shall  get  along,  Miguel ;  we  shall 
get  along !  Besides,  my  mother  has  promised  to  help 
me  ;  she  will  give  me  garbanzos  and  chocolate,  and  some 
little  thing  '  under  the  rose,'  do  you  see?  We've  got  our 
rooms  all  fixed  up.  It  cost  me  a  good  deal  of  work.  For 
nearly  a  year  I  have  not  taken  coffee,  nor  gone  to  the 
theatre,  nor  smoked  anything  except  cigarettes  ;  everything 
so  as  to  save  for  this  furniture  !  Man  !  I  tell  you  that  I 
have  gone  with  one  hat  all  the  year,  and  that 'I  have  had 
my  boots  tapped  three  times !  But  I  have  done  it  all 
with  delight  for  my  darling  chulilla,  who  is  worth  all  Peru ! 
Just  look,  look  at  her !  See  what  eves  she  is  making  at 
us  !  " 

Enrique's  happiness  was  so  contagious  that  Miguel 
always  felt  happy  to  be  with  him. 

This  lad  had  often  made  him  think  that  to  be  happy  in 
this  world  one  needs  only  to  believe  that  one  is. 

They  had  not  yet  finished  taking  their  chocolate,  when 
the  doors  of  the  cafe  were  flung  open,  and  six  or  seven 
street-musicians  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  they  with 
their  brass  instruments  made  a  discordant  and  unsancti- 
monious  band.  They  immediately  began  to  set  up  a 
waltz  or  something  of  the  sort.  Now,  instead  of  escap- 
1  "Barley  Square,"  formerly  famous  for  its  executions. 


284  MAXIMINA. 

ing,  and  hiding  in  the  garret,  these  people  received  the 
band  as  though  it  were  the  Sociedad  de  Conciertos,  and 
began  to  accompany  the  music  with  their  voices,  and 
with  their  spoons,  enough  to  scare  away  Mephisto  him- 
self. 

Maximum  got  up,  not  on  account  of  the  noise,  but 
because  she  was  anxious  about  her  baby,  who  was  prob- 
ably getting  hungry.  Manolita  looked  at  her  with  timid 
eyes,  as  though  reminding  her  of  her  promise.  Miguel's 
wife  threw  her  arms  around  her  and  kissed  her  tenderly, 
whispering  in  her  ear  :  — 

"  Come  and  see  us,  and  I  will  show  you  my  baby  :  you 
will,  won't  you  ? " 

When  husband  and  wife  left  the  cafe,  they  were  in  a 
happy  frame  of  mind.  Hearing  from  a  distance  the  noise 
of  the  band  and  voices,  Miguel  exclaimed  :  — 

"  What  a  jolly  wedding  this  has  been  !  No  toasts  were 
given,  and  no  poems  were  read !  " 


XXI. 

WITH  suitable  precautions,  that  is,  first  vaguely  insinu- 
ating the  idea,  .afterwards  making  it  more  and  more 
definite,  Miguel  brought  it  to  his  wife's  notice  that  he 
must  go  to  Galicia  for  a  few  days.  She  received  the 
news  with  consternation  ;  but  perceiving  that  her  husband 
was  annoyed,  she  made  an  effort  to  control  herself,  and 
became  calm,  and  finally  even  quite  cheerful.  But  find- 
ing herself,  as  always  after  breakfast,  seated  on  her 
husband's  knee,  while  the  "little  rascal"  was  sleeping, 
and  ready  to  talk  about  the  linen  that  the  traveller  would 
need  for  his  journey,  the  tears  came  into  her  eyes  when 
least  expected. 


MAXIMINA.  285 

"  What  a  girl  you  are,"  exclaimed  Miguel,  kissing  her, 
"  only  a  few  days'  separation  !" 

"I  was  not  crying  for  that  exactly,"  rejoined  Maxi- 
mina,  endeavoring  to  smile.  "But  for  several  days  I 
have  been  having  such  melancholy  forebodings." 

"  What  forebodings  ?" 

"  I  imagine  that  I  am  not  going  to  live  very  long." 

iiAve  Maria!  what  a  terrible  idea!  What  makes  you 
have  such  crazy  notions  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  little  wife,  smiling  though 
the  tears  were  sliding  down  her  cheeks.  "What  I  dread 
most  is  leaving  my  baby  while  he  is  so  young." 

"  Don't  be  absurd  !  "  said  Miguel,  impatiently.  "  These 
gloomy  ideas  are  caused  b}-  the  sadness  that  you  feel  at 
having  me  go  away.  As  for  the  rest,  though  death  is 
liable  to  come  to  any  of  us,  there  is  no'  reason  to  think 
that  yours  is  near  at  hand.  You  are  a  child  of  seven- 
teen ;  you  were  never  ill  a  day  in  your  life,  except  when 
the  baby  was  born.  You  enjoy  perfect  health.  ...  It 
is  much  more  likely  that  I  should  die  before  you :  I  am 
considerably  older  ;  besides,  I  haven't  a  very  strong  consti- 
tution, as  you  know.  ..." 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  "  exclaimed  Maximina,  throwing  her 
arms  around  him,  and  bursting  into  a  passion  of  tears. 
"  I  don't  want  to  hear  that  you  may  die  !  " 

"  Why,  my  child,  there  is  nothing  to  be  done  about  it." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  hear  about  it ;  I  don't  want  to,  I 
do  not !  "  she  replied,  with  such  lovely  determination  that 
her  husband  covered  her  with  kisses. 

After  a  while,  and  when  they  had  been  speaking  of 
other  things,  Maximina  returned  to  the  same  topic. 

"  If  I  should  die,  you  would  marry  again,  wouldn't 
you,  Miguel?"  she  asked,  with  an  expression  half  serious 
and  half  mischievous,  which  nevertheless  concealed  a  very 
real  meaning  and  a  genuine  anxiety. 


286  MAXIMINA. 

"  Back  to  the  old  subject?  Please  don't  indulge  in  any 
more  of  these  follies,  sweetheart." 

"Would  you  marry  again,  Miguel?"  she  insisted,  ceas- 
ing to  smile,  and  showing  her  anxiety. 

"  Well,  then,  I  am  going  to  speak  with  all  frankness : 
If  you  should  die  (but  you  aren't  going  to  die),  I  will  not 
answer  for  it,  that  in  the  course  of  my  life  I  should  never 
have  anything  to  do  with  other  women  ;  but  I  give  you  my 
word  and  oath  that  I  will  never  marry  any  one  else.  And 
this  is  not  alone  because  of  the  deep  and  affectionate  love 
which  I  bear  you,  so  that  to-day  you  are  an  essential  part 
of  my  being,  and  if  you  were  taken  away  from  me  it 
would  be  as  though  half  of  myself  were  taken  away,  but 
also  for  selfish  reasons.  I  should  be  unhappy  with  any 
other  woman.  God  has  endowed  you,  my  darling,  with 
all,  absolutely  with  all,  the  qualities  necessary  for  making 
me  happy." 

The  little  wife  well  understood  that  these  words  were 
sincere,  and  she  looked  at  her  husband  with  enthusiasm 
and  joy. 

Miguel,  in  speaking  the  last  words,  had  felt  his  heart 
growing  tender :  he  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hands,  and 
turned  away  his  head.  On  seeing  him  in  this  attitude  a 
smile  of  intense  delight  illumined  his  wife's  face. 

"  Are  you  crying?"  she  whispered  into  his  ear. 

Miguel  did  not  repl}'. 

"Are  you  crying?"  she  repeated.  "You  are  crying; 
don't  try  to  den}'  it."  And  with  infantile  curiosity  she 
tried  to  pull  his  hands  away  from  his  face. 

"  Stop,  stop  !  " 

"  Let  me  see  thy  tears,  Miguel !  " 

And  she  struggled  with  all  her  might  to  see  her  hus- 
band's eyes  full  of  tears. 

"Are  you  satisfied  now?"   he  asked,  laughing;    then 


MAXIMINA.  287 

after  a  moment  of  silence,  "  And  you,  Maximina,"  he 
said,  in  a  tone  of  anxiety,  "  would  you  marry  again?" 

"  Oh  !  for  Heaven's  sake  !  " 

"You  are  veiy  young,  and  it  would  not  be  at  all 
strange  if  this  should  happen.  After  some  time  the 
same  circumstances  might  drive  you  to  it!  Perhaps 
your  relatives  might  urge  you  into  it :  a  woman  is  not 
well  off  alone  in  the  world.  ...  If  this  took  place,  I  have 
no  doubt  that  you  would  love  your  husband ;  but  I  could 
take  my  oath  that  you  would  not  love  him  as  much  as  you 
love  me.  There  are  things,  Maximina,  that  are  never 
repeated,  and  one  of  them  is  first  love  ;  especially  if  this 
first  love  has  been  blessed  by  Heaven  as  yours  has  been. 
Just  notice  the  walls  of  this  study  ;  preserve  in  thy  mem- 
ory the  form  of  these  pieces  of  furniture,  the  color  of  the 
carpet,  the  sweetness  of  that  sunbeam  that  comes  through 
the  window.  All  this  that  now  has  so  little  importance, 
if  I  should  die,  would,  perhaps,  seem  much  more  so,  for 
the  moments  of  bliss  which  we  are  now  spending  here, 
with  thee  sitting  on  my  knees,  and  with  me  •looking  into 
thy  dear  eyes,  would  never  again  return,  Maximina, 
would  never  return  for  thee  !  " 

The  little  wife  fell  back  against  her  husband's  breast, 
when  she  heard  these  words,  like  a  sensitive  plant  which 
contracts  at  the  slightest  touch. 

"Oh!  Miguel,  light  of  my  life,  what  have  I  done  to 
make  thee  speak  to  me  so  ?  " 

And  sobs  choked  her. 

He  tried  to  pacify  her  by  such  means  as  were  in  his 
power ;  but  to  accomplish  it  he  found  himself  obliged 
to  promise  her  solemnly  that  he  would  not  die  !  " 

At  last  the  day  set  for  his  journey  arrived.  It  had 
been  agreed  that  during  Miguel's  absence  Julita  should 
come  and  sleep  with  her  sister-in-law.  She  and  la  briga- 


288  MAXIMINA. 

diem  both  came  over  that  afternoon  to  bid  the  traveller 
good  by.  It  was  just  dusk.  Miguel,  after  eating  a  hur- 
ried and  solitary  dinner,  sent  for  a  carriage,  and  prepared 
to  depart.  When  he  went  toward  his  wife  to  kiss  her,  she 
darted  away,  and  ran  to  hide  in  her  bedroom. 

"  But  it  is  your  husband,  tonta!"  cried  Julita,  laughing. 

Miguel  followed  her,  and  groping  around  in  the  dark- 
ness, found  her  in  one  corner. 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  kiss  you,  sweetheart?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  Miguel ;  but  there  before  people  I  should  die 
of  mortification ! " 

As  our  young  man  took  his  place  in  the  carriage  he  felt 
his  heart  depressed  within  him. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  what  is  at  stake,  I  should  not  have 
been  mixed  up  in  this  dirty  business,  and  I  certainly 
should  not  be  leaving  my  wife  and  baby,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, with  some  bitterness. 

Before  reaching  his  district  he  made  a  stop  at  the  capi- 
tal of  the  province,  where  he  was  received  with  extreme 
cordiality  by  the  governor.  He  was  a  young  man  who 
had  recently  been  filling  the  position  of  second  or  third 
gazetillero  on  a  liberal  paper  at  the  capital.  It  was  said 
in  the  city  that  his  administrative  knowledge  might  possi- 
bly have  been  more  solid  without  doing  any  harm ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  whenever  it  took  his  fancy  he  re- 
plied in  rhyme  to  letters,  walked  the  street,  in  free  and 
eas}1  costume,  gave  lunch-parties  to  the  provincial  deputies 
almost  every  day,  enjoyed  cracking  jokes  with  the  ushers, 
and  when  the  assembly  was  in  session,  sometimes  per- 
mitted himself  to  whistle  in  an  undertone  arias  from 
Blue  Beard  or  The  Grand  Duchess.  His  name  was 
Castro. 

As  soon  as  Miguel  presented  himself  at  the  Gobierno 
Civil,  Castro  gave  him  a  most  hearty  squeeze,  as  though  he 


MAXIMINA.  289 

were  an  intimate  friend,  although  they  had  never  spoken 
together  in  Madrid  more  than  three  or  four  times,  and 
began  to  address  him  from  the  very  first  with  the  familiar 
"  thou."  He  instantly  promised  him  the  whole  weight  of 
his  official  influence. 

"  I'll  get  you  in  swimmingly,  my  hid,  no  matter  what 
it  costs.  Go  to  the  district  and  write  me  from  there  all 
that  you  need,  and  I  will  do  for  you  anything  in  the 
world." 

Rejoiced  and  flattered  b}-  this  reception,  our  hero  on 
the  following  day  took  the  diligence  for  Serin,  which  was 
about  seven  leagues  from  the  capital. 

It  was  a  miserable  little  village,  but  admirably  situated 
near  a  river,  the  banks  of  which  displayed  the  luxuriant 
vegetation  of  tropical  countries,  and  the  fresh  verdure  of 
the  North ;  orange-trees,  lemon-trees,  and  river-laurels 
almost  shook  hands  with  oak  and  chestnut  groves  which 
swept  up  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  ;  they  in  turn  were 
gentle  and  green  in  the  foreground,  dark  and  steep  in  the 
background,  thus  making  a  magnificent  chain,  rendering 
the  landscape  most  picturesque.  The  group  of  white 
cottages  that  composed  the  village  of  Serin  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  thick  border  of  trees,  except  on  the  side  of 
the  river,  in  whose  clear  blue  waters  it  was  reflected. 

Now  this  delectable  spot,  which  appeared  like  a  little 
corner  of  Paradise  was  rather  a  little  corner  of  Hades, 
as  Miguel  was  quickly  able  to  assure  himself.  It  eveu 
had,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  not  one,  but  two,  serpents  to 
torment  its  inhabitants. 

These  had  been  divided  from  time  immemorial  into  two 
parties  —  "those  of  the  Casona"  and  "those  of  the 
Casina,"  thus  named  because  the  first  met  in  a  great, 
dark  mansion  with  two  machiolated  towers,  which  stood 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  village,  while  the  others  met  in  a 


290  MAXIMINA. 

one-storied  and  highly  ornamented  edifice  with  a  hand- 
some portal  with  an  iron  grating  and  two  great  balconies, 
and  was  situated  on  the  Muelle  by  the  river. 

They  were  likewise  called  "Don  Martin's  Party"  and 
"  Don  Servando's,"  after  the  name  of  their  respective 
leaders. 

The  division  of  these  parties  was  not  based  upon  the 
fact  that  the  one,  that  of  the  Casona,  represented 
the  traditional  and  conservative  element,  while  that  of 
the  Casina  stood  for  the  progressive  and  liberal,  the 
first  having  often  been  seen  taking  the  side  of  "liberal 
administrations,"  and  the  other  sustaining  the  cause  of 
the  "moderate"  candidate.  The  quarrel  was  kindled 
solely  by  the  eagerness  for  controlling  local  politics,  and 
thus  of  being  in  last  analysis  the  masters  of  the  village. 
The  rest  was  not  of  the  least  consequence.  Neverthe- 
less, it  cannot  be  denied  that  Don  Martin's  party  had 
marked  tendencies  towards  absolutism.  In  Don  Ser- 
vando's, on  the  other  hand,  there  was  no  noticeable  pre- 
dilection for  liberty. 

It  was  this  Don  Servando,  who,  as  Miguel  alighted 
from  the  diligence  and  received  him,  took  him  home, 
willy  nilly.  He  was  a  fat  man  of  medium  height,  and 
was  approaching  his  seventieth  birthday  ;  his  face,  with 
its  deep  red  complexion,  was  adorned  with  short  gray 
whiskers ;  he  wore  a  very  long,  black  frock  coat,  and 
black  liongo  besides. 

"  Have  I  the  honor  of  addressing  Seiior  Corcuera,"  he 
asked  him  very  politely,  with  a  strong  Galician  accent. 

"  No,  sir  ;  my  name  is  Miguel  Rivera,  at  your  service." 

"  That  is  very  good,"  the  Galician  replied,  and  ad- 
dressing himself  to  a  servant,  he  said:  "  Muchacho, 
look  up  the  gentleman's  luggage,  and  take  charge  of  it. 
I  will  tell  you  where  it  has  to  be  carried." 


MAXIMINA.  291 

"I  suppose  that  you  are  Senor  Bustelo,"  Miguel  has- 
tened to  say. 

"We  will  have  a  chance  to  talk  as  we  go  around  yonder 
corner.  You  will  do  me  the  favor  to  follow  me." 

And  Don  Servando  set  forth  with  firm  and  deliberate 
step  toward  the  corner  indicated.  Miguel  followed  him 
without  understanding  what  it  all  meant. 

"When  they  had  reached  there,  Don  Servando  said  to  him, 
without  looking  at  him,  and  as  though  he  were  speaking 
with  the  above-mentioned  corner  :  — 

"I  received  word  from  the  Senor  Governor  that  you 
were  to  arrive  this  afternoon,  and  I  take  it  for  granted 
that  you  will  do  me  the  honor  of  accepting  modest  hospi- 
tality at  my  house." 

"  Provided  that  you  are  Senor  Bustelo." 

"The  house  that  you  see  yonder,  where  there  is  a  bel- 
vedere, is  mine,  my  dear  sir.  Have  the  goodness  to  go 
on  ahead,  and  I  will  immediately  follow." 

Miguel  did  what  he  commanded,  without  understanding 
the  meaning  of  all  this  mystery.  Afterwards  he  had  just 
as  little  an  idea,  but  it  no  longer  surprised  him. 

Don  Servando's  predominant  characteristic,  which  was 
manifested  in  all  his  acts,  and  never  failed  him,  was 
caution.  He  never  asked  directly  more  than  he  already 
knew  ;  what  he  was  anxious  to  find  out  he  always  accom- 
plished by  means  of  a  long  series  of  circumlocutions,  and 
hiding  his  design.  He  never  gave  a  straightforward 
and  prompt  answer  to  questions,  no  matter  how  insig- 
nificant or  meaningless  they  were. 

After  being  a  few  hours  in  his  company  Miguel  became 
convinced  that  it  was  idle  to  try  to  find  out  anything 
about  his  personal^.  It  was,  above  all,  on  account  of 
this  quality  that  he  was  greatly  admired  by  all  his  friends 
and  feared  by  his  opponents.  He  talked  little,  and  never 
looked  a  man  in  the  face. 


292  MAXIMINA. 

After  they  had  eaten  supper,  and  the  guest's  luggage 
had  been  brought  in  with  infinite  precautions,  the  two 
shut  themselves  into  Don  Servando's  office,  where,  in  less 
than  an  hour,  he  imbibed  six  bottles  of  beer. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  fond  of  beer,  Senor 
Bustelo." 

"  Psh  !  so,  so.  ...  I  prefer  wine,"  he  replied,  with 
the  gravity  and  the  Galician  accent  peculiar  to  him. 

On  the  following  days  Miguel  had  the  opportunity  of 
observing  that  he  scarcely  touched  wine. 

One  after  another,  and  as  though  some  desperately  dan- 
gerous conspiracy  were  in  progress,  the  official  candidate 
received  the  calls  of  Don  Servando's  partisans,  who  prom- 
ised great  success  in  the  coming  election.  Nevertheless 
Miguel  was  quick  to  see  that  the  forces  were  very  evenly 
balanced  ;  indeed,  so  well  that  while  in  what  we  might 
name  the  urban  region  of  Serin,  in  the  brain  of  the  com- 
munity, the  Casina  party  was  predominant,  it  was  in  a 
large  minority  in  the  rural  districts.  Official  influence 
was  as  little  at  the  complete  disposition  of  this  party  ; 
while  the  town  authorities  l  of  Serin  were  theirs  ;  those  of 
two  other  precincts,  Agueria  and  Villabona,  gave  alle- 
giance to  Don  Martin,  and  it  was  in  these,  after  all,  that 
the  key  of  the  election  finally  lay. 

General  Rios  had  been  put  up  for  this  district  without 
opposition,  and  from  that  moment  the  partisans  of  the 
Casona  had  rivalled  Don  Servaudo's  in  zeal  and  efficacy  in 
serving  him.  This  was  the  usual  tactics  among  them. 
When  they  found  it  impossible  to  struggle  they  humiliated 
their  proud  heads,  and  did  all  that  they  could  to  win  the 
deputy's  friendship,  or  at  least  his  good  will,  to  beg  a  few 
of  the  crumbs  of  favor,  so  that  they  might  not  be  wholly 


ayuntamiento;  consisting  of  alcalde,  or  mayor,  and  the  regi- 
dores,  or  aldermen. 


MAXIMINA.  293 

at  the  mercy  of  their  implacable  enemies.  They  well 
knew  by  experience  that  if  this  happened,  they  were  liable 
to  all  kinds  of  annoyances,  and  sometimes  to  the  guard- 
house, since  each  party  excelled  in  letting  the  star  of  the 
morning  witness  their  dissipations. 

Owing  to  this  state  of  affairs,  though  the  general  in- 
clined toward  the  Casifia  party,  he  had  not  consented  to 
the  others  being  maltreated,  and  he  had  even  gone  so  far 
as  to  leave  in  their  hands  certain  offices  which  were  in  the 
gift  of  the  state,  and  this  stirred  up  the  wrath  of  Don 
Serrando's  friends,  and  made  them  so  indignant  that 
they  secretly  murmured  against  the  count,  and  even  pro- 
posed to  "pay  him  off"  when  the  suitable  occasion 
came. 

Thus  it  was  that  as  the  horizon  was  now  darkened  by 
a  second  deputy,  who  they  hoped  would  be  absolutely  in 
their  interests,  and  tear  up  by  the  roots  Don  Martin's 
influence  in  the  concejo,1  at  least  for  a  long  season. 

It  was  for  this  reason  that  Don  Servando  had  the  keen 
foresight  to  lodge  him  in  his  house,  in  order  that  neither 
Don  Martin  nor  any  of  Don  Martin's  friends  could  call 
upon  him. 

On  the  next  morning  after  his  arrival  Miguel  wrote 
Maximina,  and  sallied  forth  to  drop  the  letter  in  the  post- 
office,  thinking  that  it  was  a  good  time  to  explore  the 
town.  In  the  first  street,  which  ran  into  the  Muelle,  he 
discerned  a  letter-box,  and  made  for  it ;  but,  as  he  came 
near  to  it,  he  found  that  it  had  a  board  nailed  over  the 
aperture.  He  walked  along  a  little  farther  and  soon  saw 
another ;  but  here  this  same  state  of  things  was  repeated, 
and  likewise  in  three  or  four  others  which  he  happened 
upon  in  various  parts  of  the  village. 

"Will  you  please  tell  me  where  I  can  mail  this  let- 
lrThe  collective  name  of  the  town  or  district  authorities. 


294  MAXIMINA. 

ter?  .  .  .     All  the  boxes  that  I  have   found   are   nailed 
up,"  he  said  to  a  domestic  who  was  passing. 

' '  It's  because  Don  Matias  is  postmaster  now  .  .  .  you'll 
find  it  in  a  provision  store  near  the  Muelle,  do  you 
see?  .  .  .  Don't  miss  j'our  way  .  .  .  follow  this  street 
down,  and  you'll  see  it." 

The  postmastership,  as  he  discovered  afterwards,  was 
one  of  the  perquisites  which  the  two  parties  of  Serin 
quarrelled  over  furiously,  it  having  passed  alternately 
from  the  hands  of  one  of  Don  Servando's  friends  to 
those  of  one  of  Don  Martin's,  and  vice  versa.  As  each 
time  it  came  into  the  hands  of  a  different  person,  —  for  it 
was  necessary  to  satisfy  all,  —  it  happened  that  many  of 
the  houses  in  Serin  had  been  pierced  for  letter-boxes. 
The  postmaster  received  the  salary  of  three  thousand  five 
hundred  reals l  a  year. 

As  he  was  walking  along  one  of  the  streets  he  met 
Don  Servando,  who  greeted  him  solemnly,  and  started  to 
pass  on. 

"  What  is  the  good  word,  Senor  Bustelo;  are  you  going 
home?" 

"  No,  sir,  no;  I  am  taking  a  little  walk;  then  I  have 
some  business  to  attend  to.  ...  Good  by,  Senor  de  Rivera." 

Miguel  went  home,  but  before  he  reached  the  house  he 
saw  Don  Servando  go  in.  Why  had  he  lied?  God  only 
knows. 

When  he  learned  that  Miguel  had  posted  a  letter,  the 
chief  of  the  Casiiia  party  turned  livid. 

"  What!  .  .  .  Senor  Rivera  ...  a  letter?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  a  letter,"  replied  Miguel,  not  understanding 
the  reason  for  his  surprise. 

"  But  don't  j'ou  know,  my  dear  sir,  that  Don  Matias 
is  ...  belongs  to  the  others?  " 

i  3175.00. 


MAXIMINA.  295 

"What  of  that?" 

"Here  we  never  receive  or  drop  letters  at  the  village 
post-office  ;  we  send  them  to  Malloriz,  and  there  we  have 
also  a  person  who  gets  those  directed  to  us,  and  forwards 
them  to  us  afterward." 

"  Man  alive  !  what  distrust !  " 

""We  can't  be  too  careful,  my  dear  sir;  we  can't  be 
too  careful." 

Assured  by  the  thought  that  his  letter  was  for  his 
wife,  lie  immediately  invited  Don  Servando  to  take  a 
bottle  of  beer.  For  the  leader  of  the  Casina  beer-drink- 
ing was  an  august  function  of  life.  He  had  surprised  the 
community  by  saying,  perhaps  with  truth,  that  he  drank 
five  duros'  worth  a  day  of  this  beverage.  Such  prodigal- 
ity, truly  tremendous  in  that  region,  helped  him  not  a 
little  in  maintaining  his  prestige.  Don  Servando  was 
the  only  rich  man  who  spent  all  his  income  in  Serin,  and 
this  was  because  he  was  a  bachelor. 


XXII. 

THE  first  thing  that  the  Casina  party  demanded  of 
Miguel,  as  a  condition  of  his  election,  was  to  accomplish 
the  dismissal  of  the  jailer,  get  the  post-office  from  Don 
Matias,  and  the  tobacco-shop1 -from  a  man  named  Santi- 
ago, all  of  whom  belonged  to  Don  Martin's  party.  .  .  . 
And  in  fact  Miguel  wrote  to  the  governor  and  his  Madrid 
friends ;  in  five  or  six  days  came  the  decapitation  of  the 
tobacconist  and  Don  Matias,  and  shortly  after  that  of  the 
alcaide,  there  being  named  in  place  of  them  three  other 
individuals,  who  swore  by  Don  Servando's  beer.  This 

1  In  Spain  the  estanquillos,  where  snuff  and  tobacco  are  sold,  are 
under  special  government  license. 


296  MAXIMINA. 

gentleman,  when  he  received  the  news,  found  it  in  him  to 
smile  and  drink  three  schooners  without  breathing. 

His  friends  perceived  in  that  smile  and  the  absorption 
of  the  three  schooners  snch  a  great  and  deep  mystery, 
that  they  looked  at  each  other,  filled  with  faith  and  en- 
thusiasm for  their  chief. 

But  the  Casona  party  were  bold  enough  in  spite  of 
being  in  opposition,  and  they  proclaimed  to  the  four 
winds  the  candidacy  of  Corrales,  who,  having  been  min- 
ister several  times,  enjoyed  much  notoriety  in  the  coun- 
•  try,  although  he  had  no  official  power  to  back  him.  The 
fact  was  that  he  was  master  of  the  ayuntamientos  of  Agii- 
eria  and  Villabona,  and  that  the  combined  vote  of  these 
districts  fully  counterbalanced  the  majority  which  his 
opponents  might  raise  against  him  in  Serin.  The  elec- 
tion was  by  universal  suffrage,  but  both  parties  had  per- 
fectly calculated  their  forces.  Consequently,  the  first 
question  on  the  carpet  that  night  in  Don  Servaudo's 
office,  the  dismissal  of  the  alcaide  having  been  obtained, 
was  the  suspension  of  the  municipal  governments  above 
mentioned,  and  this  had  to  be  done  before  the  opening 
of  the  electorial  period. 

They  were  there  discussing  the  most  suitable  methods 
of  carrying  out  this  plan,  when  one  of  the  numerous  spies 
whom  Don  Servando  kept  in  the  village  came  into  the 
room  and  informed  them  that  Don  Martin  had  booked 
for  the  following  da}'  in  the  Ferrocarrilana. 

This  bit  of  news  caused  deep  perturbation  among  those 
present,  and  it  was  immediatch-  understood,  though  no 
one  dared  to  ask  the  question  of  him,  that  Don  Servando 
would  join  him  in  this  journey,  since  such  had  been  the 
custom  from  time  immemorial.  As  soon  as  Don  Martin 
made  a  move  from  the  village,  his  rival  packed  his  valise, 
and  followed  him  wherever  he  went,  taking  it  for  granted 


MAXIMINA.  297 

that  when  he  went  away  it  must  be  for  something,  and 
this  something  could  not  be  else  than  some  harm  for  him- 
self or  his  friends.  When  Don  Servando  undertook  a 
journey,  his  enemy  Don  Martin  did  the  same ;  every- 
body in  the  town  knew  this  custom,  and  no  one  saw  any- 
thing strange  in  it. 

In  truth,  as  soon  as  all  had  taken  their  departure,  Don 
Servando  sent  his  servant  to  secure  an  outside  seat  in  the 
Competencia.  He  did  not  bid  Miguel  farewell,  but  made 
arrangements  so  that  he  should  not  suffer  from  any  lack 
during  his  absence. 

This  lasted  two  days. 

At  the  end  of  this  time  he  returned,  or,  more  correctly, 
both  chiefs  returned.  Don  Martin  had  gone  down  to  the 
capital  to  have  a  tooth  filled. 

Every  day  Miguel  received  a  little  letter  folded 
double,  and  directed  in  a  handsome  English  hand  —  that 
taught  at  the  Colegio  de  Vergara.  Maximina  did  not 
write  a  great  deal,  though  much  more  than  before  she 
was  married.  Her  instinct  told  her  that  Miguel  could 
not  laugh  at  the  trifles  that  she  told  him  now,  especially 
if  they  had  reference  to  the  baby.  In  all  of  them  there 
was  expressed  an  irresistible  desire  for  him  to  return 
home  as  soon  as  possible,  and  yet  she  tried  to  hide  it  lest 
she  should  disturb  him  in  his  duties. 

"  Yesterday,  Julita  took  me  out  to  drive.  It  was 
crowded,  and  she  was  very  gay.  When  I  got  home,  I 
felt  such  a  deep  sadness  that  I  cannot  explain  it  to  you. 
I  remembered  that  the  last  time  that  I  rode  through  the 
Castellana  was  with  thee,  my  life,  my  all  !  " 

The  maiden  from  Pasajes,  under  the  influence  of  her 
husband,  who  had  never  been  sparing  in  the  matter  of 
affectionate  words,  had  grown  more  lavish  in  her  caresses. 
The  same  thing  will  happen  to  every  loving  woman,  if  she 
has  a  husband  like  Miguel,  a  little  sentimental. 


298  MAXJ.MINA. 

''  Last  night  I  woke  up  between  four  and  five,  and 
without  knowing  what  I  did,  I  was  just  going  to  give 
Julia  a  kiss,  imagining  that  it  was  you.  Before  I  did  so, 
I  came  to  my  senses.  Such  keen  pain  came  over  me  that 
I  cried  more  than  an  hour.  I  don't  see  why  Julia  did  not 
wake  up.  Forgive  me  for  telling  you  these  things,  my 
darling ;  I  am  a  fool.  The  main  thing  is  that  you  are 
getting  along  well,  as  you  say,  and  that  you  attain  your 
desire.  There  will  still  be  time,  if  God  is  willing,  for  us 
to  be  together.  For  God's  sake,  don't  neglect  to  say  your 
prayers  when  you  go  to  bed." 

Each  of  these  letters  made  our  candidate  melancholy 
and  thoughtful  for  a  while. 

"How  glad  I  should  be  to  give  these  Caff  res  their 
walking-ticket,  and  go  and  give  a  hug  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  m}-  mother-in-law  (God  bless  her!),"  he  said  to 
himself  more  than  once. 

But  as  his  affairs  were  progressing  with  '  a  fair  wind,' 
he  suffered  patiently.  He  wrote  to  various  friends  in 
Madrid  to  exert  themselves  for  the  suspension  of  the 
unfriendly  ayuntamientos  above  mentioned.  Meudoza 
and  others  also  replied  that  the  President  and  the  minis- 
try gave  their  consent.  Nevertheless,  the  days  passed, 
and  the  order  did  not  come. 

The  Casina  party  had  on  their  hands  another  project 
for  which  they  were  very  strenuous,  though  not  to  the 
same  degree  as  the  above.  This  was  the  highway  between 
Serin  and  Agu'eria,  which  the  inhabitants  of  both  places 
wished  to  be  put  out  at  public  contract.  Many  times 
they  had  made  attempts  through  each  faction,  but  with- 
out success.  At  last  the  general  promised  them  that  he 
would  not  cease  his  endeavors  until  he  had  accomplished 
it ;  but  his  departure  for  Germany  had  disappointed  Don 
Servando's  partisans,  who  hoped  that  the  district  would 


MAXIM1NA.  299 

owe  the  benefit  to  them,  and  not  to  the  Casona  part}7. 
But  now  it  came  to  light  that  the  latter  were  actively  at 
work  in  Madrid  through  the  intervention  of  Corrales,  who, 
as  ex-minister  and  an  individual  well  known  in  politics, 
had  never  ceased  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  the  present 
ministers. 

Thereupon,  the  Casina  party  became  alarmed,  and 
brought  pressure  on  Miguel  to  use  all  his  influence  again, 
so  that  this  favor  might  in  nowise  be  granted  to  Cor- 
rales,  but  rather  to  the  official  candidate  whom  they 
supported. 

Miguel  received  word  from  Madrid  that  the  matter  was 
in  a  fair  wa\"  of  being  settled ;  later  he  got  another  letter 
in  which  it  was  said  that  the  minister  had  promised  to 
give  the  order  immediately  ;  then  came  still  another  which 
said  that  the  order  would  appear  very  soon  in  the  Gazeta. 
Nevertheless,  just  as  in  the  matter  of  the  suspension, 
nothing  came  of  it :  it  failed  to  appear. 

And  Don  Servando's  janizaries,  though  very  certain  of 
victory,  began  to  grow  impatient,  and  to  assail  Miguel, 
who,  in  his  turn,  was  still  more  vexed  by  their  innuendoes, 
and  felt  the  most  savage  inclination  to  say  something  im- 
pudent in  their  faces. 

One  afternoon,  when  they  were  as  usual  drinking  beer 
in  Don  Servando's  office,  they  heard  the  sound  of  a  bomb 
exploding  in  the  air.  They  suddenly  became  solemn  and 
silent  with  their  ears  pricked  up.  In  a  moment  another 
was  heard,  and  some  one  present  said :  — 

"  They  are  rockets!" 

"  Rockets  at  this  time  of  day  ?  " 

And  the  seven  or  eight  men  present  looked  at  each 
other  in  amazement  and  no  little  alarm,  for  the  two  fac- 
tions lived  in  perpetual  excitement. 

"Is  there  any  special  celebration  at  church  to-morrow ?" 


300  MAXIMINA. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Suppose  one  of  you  go  out  and  investigate.  .  .  ." 

Two  men  left  the  room,  and  returning  in  a  few 
moments  pale  and  excited,  said,  with  trembling  voices  :  — 

"The  rockets  are  being  sent  up  from  the  balcony  of 
the  Caso.ua." 

"  Those  .  .  .  have  received  notice  about  the  public 
contract." 

Anxiety  and  terror  seized  all  hearts  :  by  a  simultaneous 
movement  they  turned  their  eyes  to  the  chief,  famous  for 
his  sagacity. 

Don  Servando  deliberately  drank  two  schooners  of  beer, 
and  after  wiping  his  lips  again  and  again  with  his  hand- 
kerchief, he  broke  the  strained  silence,  saying:  — 

"  Senor  Alcalde,  go  to  the  town-house  and  send  two 
constables  to  the  Casona,  and  warn  them  not  to  send  up 
any  more  sky-rockets.  Article  62  of  the  Municipal  Ordi- 
nances forbids  their  being  shot  without  permission  from 
the  authorities." 

The  janizaries  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief;  not  in  vain  had 
they  placed  their  trust  in  their  astute  chief.  The  Alcalde 
went  out  on  his  errand,  and  the  others  remained  dis- 
cussing the  incident,  endeavoring  to  explain  how  the 
news  had  reached  the  others  sooner  than  it  had  them. 
The  general  opinion  was  that  there  had  been  some  blun- 
der in  the  mails. 

Don  Martin's  friends,  irritated  by  the  Alcalde's  pro- 
hibition, collected  the  village  band,  which  was  composed 
of  ten  or  a  dozen  instruments,  mostly  brass,  and  offering 
the  musicians  a  good  fee  besides  apellejo1  of  wine,  which 
they  showed  to  inspire  them,  the}-  made  them  march  up 
and  down  the  village  playing,  and  then  stationed  them 
in  the  middle  of  the  plaza,  where  the  people,  attracted  by 
1  A  skin  dressed  and  lined  with  pitch,  made  for  carrying  wine. 


MAXIMINA.  301 

the  music,  began  to  assemble ;  the  lads  started  a  dance, 
and  Don  Martin  and  the  highway  were  cheered. 

New  and  dolorous  assault  upon  the  sensibilities  of  Don 
Servando's  adherents  in  conclave  assembled. 

"  Sefior  Alcalde!"  said  the  latter  once  more,  "send 
and  have  the  music  stop  !  The  Municipal  Ordinances, 
articles  59  and  60,  require  that  permission  of  the  author- 
ities should  be  demanded  for  this  kind  of  manifestations." 

But  still  Don  Martin's  followers  were  not  to  be  cowed. 
As  soon  as  the  order  came,  feeling  secure  because  the 
populace,  fond  of  merry-making,  supported  them,  they 
took  the  band  across  the  bridge  that  spans  the  river 
there,  by  a  curious  accident  -dividing  the  municipal  limit 
of  Serin  from  that  of  Agueria.  From  there  to  the  village 
it  would  not  be  fifty  steps.  Once  out  of  the  hostile  Al- 
calde's jurisdiction  the  music  stormed  and  shrilled  in 
discordant  tones,  and  Don  Martin's  clients,  inspiring  the 
crowd  to  follow,  began  once  more  to  organize  dances,  and 
indulge  in  ' '  vivas. "  Thus  passed  the  afternoon  in  festive 
gayety  and  carousal,  while  the  Casina  party,  gathered  in 
their  chief's  office,  tasted  the  bitterness  of  defeat,  making 
faces  of  disgust. 

And  to  cap  the  climax  of  misfortunes,  El  Occidente, 
Don  Martin's  paper,  which  happened  to  be  published  on 
the  next  day,  was  more  than  ever  insulting,  and  made 
sport  of  them  in  a  cruel  fashion. 

Serin  boasted  of  two  weekly  papers  :  one,  El  Occidente, 
in  the  interest  of  the  Casona  party,  and  this  appeared  on 
Thursdays  ;  and  the  other,  La  Crdnica,  belonging  to  Don 
Servando  and  coming  out  on  Sunday.  These  were  the 
two  serpents  to  which  we  made  allusion  in  our  description 
of  the  Paradise  of  Serin.  La  Crdnica  was  written  almost 
entirely  by  an  ex-pilot,  and  consequently  nearly  all  of  his 
jokes  were  made  up  of  sea  terms ;  he  used  to  call  Don 


302  MAX1MINA. 

Martin  "  Martin  the  Fishing-smack,"  and  his  wife  "  The 
high  board  Frigate  Dona  Mauuela,"  which  made  all  his 
partisans  die  with  amusement.  El  Occidente  was  under 
the  direction  of  a  school-master  who,  to  find  insults, 
sought  out  the  most  eccentric  and  extraordinary  expres- 
sions in  the  dictionary.  That  day  he  called  Don  Ser- 
vando  "  tozudo  y  zorrocloco,"  which  means  stupidly  ob- 
stinate, and  one  who  feigns  indisposition  so  as  to  conceal 
his  indisposition  to  work,  and  he  made  certain  uncompli- 
mentary allusions  to  Miguel  also. 

Don  Servando  took  his  "  zorrocloco "  philosophically, 
but  Miguel,  little  wonted  to  the  coarse  personalities  of 
village  politics,  flushed  deeply,  and  declared  that  'he 
was  resolved  to  slap  the  editor  of  the  scurvy  sheet  in  the 
face.' 

Don  Servando's  friends  looked  at  him  in  amazement. 

"  Gently,  gently,  my  dear  sir ! "  said  the  latter,  with 
his  inevitable  coolness. 

"•  I  should  advise  }-ou  not  to  do  anything  of  the  sort, 
for  that  would  be  the  greatest  pleasure  that  you  could 
give  them.  The  judge  of  '  first  claims  ' l  is  on  their  side." 

"  And  what  have  we  to  do  with  the  judge?  The  ques- 
tion conerns  a  matter  of  honor,  which  is  settled  by  this 
person  and  me  fighting  with  swords  or  pistols." 

The  men  present  looked  at  him  with  greater  amazement 
than  ever.  In  Serin  there  was  an  absolute  lack  of  knowl- 
edge of  such  proceedings,  and  consequently  it  had  never 
entered  into  their  heads  that  there  was  to  be  any  fighting. 
Had  Miguel  carried  out  his  threat,  he  would  have  run  a 
strong  risk  of  being  put  in  jail,  and  still  further  incapa- 
citated. He  was  at  last  convinced,  and  gave  up  his  pro- 
ject, although  with  a  bad  grace. 

The  Casona  party  soon  laughed  on  the  other  side  of  the 
1  Prima  instancia. 


MAXIMINA.  303 

cheek.  In  three  days  came  the  order  for  the  suspension 
-of  the  ayuntamientos  of  Villabona  and  Agueria.  Then 
I  assure  you  that  there  was  a  carousal  and  a  drinking  of 
beer  in  the  Casina.  Don  Servando,  in  order  to  banter  his 
enemies,  got  out  the  band,  and  kept  it  for  twelve  consec- 
utive hours  jangling  through  the  streets.  That  day  the 
sound  of  exploding  rockets  did  not  for  a  moment  cease 
in  Serin,  until  the  last  one  was  sent  off. 

By  this  stroke  Miguel's  election  was  made  absolutely 
certain.  The  Casona  party  thus  understood  it,  and  crest- 
fallen, they  tried  as  always  to  curry  favor.  Only  nine 
days  were  lacking  before  the  opening  of  the  electorial 
period.  But  here  it  is  necessary  more  than  ever  to  ex- 
claim with  the  poet :  — 

"  O  instability  !    O  fickle  fortune  ! 
"Who  doth  not  hope  for  thee  in  hours  of  sorrow  ? 
Who  doth  not  fear  thee  in  his  hours  of  comfort  ?  " 

Two  days  before  the  opening  of  this  period,  when 
the  Casina  partisans  were  going  about  with  glad  and 
careless  hearts,  and  those  of  the  Casona  angry  and 
sorrowful ;  when  it  was  whispered  about,  and  taken  for 
granted  that  Corrales  was  going  to  withdraw,  and  Miguel 
was  already  planning  to  return  to  Madrid,  as  his  presence 
was  no  longer  necessary  in  the  district ;  lo  and  behold ! 
there  fell  into  Serin  like  a  bombshell  the  news  that  the 
suspended  ayuntamientos  had  been  restored. 

Unfortunately,  the  news  was  correct.  Don  Servan- 
do's  friends,  after  recovering  a  little  from  the  surprise 
(since  at  first  no  one  had  found  anything  to  say),  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  some  equivocation,  or 
that  some  one  had  lied  in  Madrid.  As  there  was  no  tele- 
graph communication  with  the  governor,  Miguel  decided 
immediately  to  hire  a  carriage  and  go  to  the  capital  in 
post-haste. 


304  MAXIMINA. 

In  spite  of  the  exaggerated  cordiality  with  which  he 
was  received,  and  the  hearty  embraces  and  his  open, 
frank  smile,  our  candidate  saw  clearly  in  the  governor's 
eyes  that  there  was  something  that  was  not  quite  as  it 
should  be,  and  immediately  determined  to  get  at  the  root 
of  the  matter  as  soon  as  possible.  Accordingly,  he  began 
to  press  him  with  questions,  which  the  Civil  Chief  of  the 
province  answered  in  vague  terms  :  '  Nothing  was  known 
of  the  reason  for  this  restoration ;  possibly  difficulties  had 
arisen  in  the  Council  of  State.  .  .  .  Perhaps  the  minister 
considered  the  suspension  unnecessary  for  carrying  the 
elections.  ..." 

"  If  the  minister  has  done  this  on  his  own  responsibil- 
ity, without  the  President's  support,  he  has  not  acted 
well.  Do  you  suppose  that  the  President  has  been  in- 
formed of  what  has  happened  ?  "  asked  Miguel. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  I  don't  know." 

"You  see  I  have  his  formal  promise  that  the  govern- 
ment would  support  me  with  all  the  powers  at  its  disposal. 
Had  I  not  received  this  pledge,  I  should  never  have  pre- 
sented myself  as  candidate  for  a  district  where  I  was  un- 
known." 

"  My  dear  lad,  I  don't  know  ...  I  don't  know.  .  .  ." 

"  Castro,"  said  Miguel,  seizing  him  firmly  by  the  hand, 
and  looking  at  him  with  a  severe  directness,  "you  are 
my  friend,  and  you  must  tell  me  the  truth.  .  .  .  What 
is  up?" 

"You  will  understand  perfectly  well  that  my  position 
does  not  allow  me  to  speak  frankly.  If  I  could,  I  would." 

"You  are  either  my  friend  or  you  are  not.  Tell  me 
what  is  going  on,"  insisted  Miguel,  energetically. 

"  Very  well  then  ;  if  you  will  give  me  your  word  as  a 
gentleman  not  to  make  any  use  of  it,  I  will  tell  you." 

"  I  promise." 


MAXIMINA.  305 

"Take  warning  that  it  is  putting  a  heavy  obligation  on 
yourself." 

"  I  promise  you.     Speak  !  " 

"  We  understand  that  you  will  not  give  the  slightest 
hint  that  you  know  what  I  am  going  to  reveal  to  you.  .  .  . 
Having  noticed  for  some  time,  and  especially  during  the 
last  few  days,  that  the  minister  was  weakening  on  your 
election,  and  knowing  the  friendship  that  unites  you  to 
the  President  and  the  conferences  which  you  have  had 
with  him,  I  was  anxious  to  get  his  advice,  so  as  to  know 
once  and  for  all  how  I  should  look  upon  this  matter.  Yes- 
terday I  telegraphed  to  his  secretary.  Here  is  the  answer 
that  I  received.  .  .  ." 

The  governor  produced  a  telegram  in  cipher,  which 
written  out,  was  as  follows  :  — 

Official  Candidate  —  Don  Miguel  Rivera. 

Deputy  —  Don  Manuel  Corrales. 

Miguel  held  it  for  some  time  in  his  hands ;  a  melan- 
choly, ironical  smile  hovered  over  his  lips. 

"Very  well,"  said  he,  flinging  it  on  the  table.  "One 
stone  more  which  the  world  has  cast  at  me." 

"I  feel  it  to  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  my  boy.  The 
President  must  have  found  too  much  pressure  brought  to 
bear  upon  him.  Corrales,  you  see,  is  a  man  of  great 
importance  in  the  present  situation !  .  .  .  To-morrow  he 
may  be  minister.  .  .  .  And  that  is  the  way  politics  go, 
my  boy.  .  .  .  To-day  you,  and  to-morrow  me." 

"Yes,  yes;  I  see  how  politics  go.  The  President  has 
given  me  his  word  of  honor  to  support  my  candidacy 
against  Corrales  ;  he  has  got  me  to  write  a  host  of  letters, 
and  to  use  all  sorts  of  influences ;  he  has  forced  me  to 
leave  my  wife  and  child.  The  President  has  done  all 
this  with  the~  intention,  so  it  seems,  of  selling  me.  I 
don't  know  what  this  is  called  in  politics,  but  in  plain  Ian- 


306  MAXIMINA. 

guage  I  know  that  it  is  called  6ase,  vile ! "  (accenting  the 
words).  '•  Good  b}-,  my  boy,"  he  added,  offering  him  his 
hand.  "I  shall  always  be  grateful  to  you  for  what  you 
have  done  for  me,  and  the  kindly  reception  which  you 
gave  me." 

"Hold  on,"  said  the  governor,  as  he  was  going  out. 
"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  I  received  a  telegram  for  you 
that  must  be  from  your  family." 

Miguel  was  startled. 

"What  does  it  say?" 

"  It  must  be  here  ;  take  it." 

It  was  from  his  stepmother,  and  read :  — 

"Come  home  immediately.  You  are  needed  on  most 
urgent  business." 

Up  to  a  certain  point  its  contents  were  tranquillizing, 
for  if  any  one  had  been  ill,  it  would  have  said  so.  But 
as  the  import  of  the  message  was  open  to  doubt,  anxious 
and  sick  at  heart,  he  secured  a  place  that  very  afternoon 
in  the  train  for  Madrid. 


XXIII. 

DON  ALFONSO  SAAVEDRA'S  exquisite,  overwhelming 
courtesy,  his  delicate  attentions  to  every  one,  his  re- 
spectful behavior  toward  ladies  masked  Satanic  pride 
and  boundless  impudence.  From  an  early  age  he  had 
looked  upon  himself  "as  the  hub  of  the  universe,"  as  the 
saying  goes,  and  professed  absolute  scorn  of  humanity. 
Among  rich  young  men,  the  sons  of  aristocratic  families, 
this  conduct  is  not  uncommon.  The  only  thing  in  which 
the}*  bear  a  perpetual  resemblance  to  each  other  is  their 
scorn  of  everybody.  The  majority  are  not  able  to  go 
beyond  that,  and  full  of  zeal,  they  have  no  other  ambi- 


MAXIMINA.  307 

tion  than  to  be  able  to  show  their  fellows,  whenever  they 
can,  this  most  noble  disdain,  which  forms  an  integral  part 
of  their  superiority.  But  so  adorable  is  their  frankness  that 
sometimes  it  obliges  them  to  put  up  with  petty  disappoint- 
ments, and  yet  it  happens  that  their  scorn  is  not  very 
well  appreciated  and  understood ;  for  among  the  many 
absurd  whims  from  which  humanity  suffers  stands  that  of 
not  allowing  itsc'lf  to  be  scorned.  There  is  no  use  in  try- 
ing to  explain  this  scorn  by  saying  :  — 

"  I  owe  ninety  thousand  duros  ;  I  am  viscount,  and  hold 
my  head  high  ;  I  make  portentous  wagers  at  baccarat ;  one 
of  my  ancestors  blacked  King  Felipe's  boots  ;  I  am  as  good 
a  whip  as  the  head  coachman ;  and  a  few  days  ago  an- 
other viscount  and  I  '  fleeced '  a  wise  man  at  Valleher- 
moso  ;  I  wear  such  extraordinary  pantaloons  that  passers- 
by  are  obliged  to  turn  round  and  look  at  me  ;  and  I  am 
in  love  with  a  ballet-girl  of  the  Real." 

It  is  idle  ;  humanity  is  determined  not  to  recognize  the 
importance  and  seriousness  of  the  reasons  wherein  these 
distinguished  young  men  take  pleasure  in  despising  it. 

Don  Alfonso,  naturally  more  cautious  and  more  expe- 
rienced by  his  residence  in  foreign  countries,  understood 
that  it  was  expedient  to  flatter  this  whim,  but  at  heart  he 
professed  the  same  ideas.  That  precept  of  the  Krausist 
philosophy  very  much  in  vogue  at  that  time,  "  Regard 
humanity  not  as  a  means,  but  as  an  end,"  was  for  him  a 
dead  letter. 

After  the  calamity  of  the  Retire,  though  his  pride  was 
wounded  to  the  very  quick,  he  was  able  to  hide  it  com- 
pletely ;  and  if  he  no  longer  made  his  appearance  at 
Miguel's,  it  was  not  owing  to  his  resentment,  but  lest 
Maximina,  now  on  her  guard,  would  take  some  violent 
measure  that  would  compromise  him. 

She  did  not  perfectly  comprehend  his  character.    When 


308  MAXIMINA. 

he  accidentally  met  the  young  couple  in  the  street,  he  was 
as  polite  and  genial  as  ever,  excusing  his  prolonged 
absence  very  gracefully  by  saying  that  an  uncle  had  sud- 
denly come  to  town,  and  he  gave  a  lively  and  circum- 
stantial description  of  the  occurrence.  Saavedra,  without 
being  talented  or  learned,  had  a  peculiarly  ludicrous  turn 
of  speech,  and  what  he  said  was  apt  to  be  comical  and 
mirth-provoking,  though  it  was  often  repulsive.  When 
he  "used  the  scalpel"  on  a  friend,  the  impression  that 
he  left  on  his  hearers  was  painful. 

Maximina,  on  meeting  him,  turned  crimson,  and  it  cost 
her  great  effort  to  calm  herself,  but  fortunately  Miguel 
did  not  notice  it. 

The  very  day  that  he  was  going  to  Galicia,  he  met 
Saavedra  again  at  the  Ateneo,1  where  the  dandy  some- 
times repaired  to  read  the  French  periodicals.  He  told 
him  about  his  journey,  and  said  good  by.  Don  Alfonso 
remained  a  long  time  seated  on  the  sofa ;  a  frown,  con- 
stantly growing  deeper,  furrowed  his  forehead.  Then  sud- 
denly he  smoothed  out  the  frown ;  his  face  regained  its 
ordinary  disdainful  and  indifferent  expression,  and  he  got 
up.  There  was  some  deep  resolution  under  that  brow ; 
something  that  was  far  removed  from  Krause's  command- 
ment, and  still  less  from  those  of  God's  law. 

At  his  aunt's  house  he  learned  that  Julita  was  going  to 
sleep  with  her  sister-in-law,  and  spend  with  her  all  the 
time  not  occupied  by  her  other  duties,  which  consisted  of 
piano  and  singing  lessons.  For  nothing  in  the  world 
would  la  brigadiera  permit  her  to  relax  her  four  hours  of 
practising  and  going  through  the  prescribed  scales. 

Don  Alfonso  spent  four  or  five  days  in  meditating,  in 
playing  espionage  on  Maximina,  and  in  scheming ;  mean- 
time he  showed  himself  more  than  ever  amiable  and  obse- 
1  The  Madrid  Ateneo  or  Athenseuin,  the  literary  headquarters  of  Spain. 


MAXIMINA.  309 

quious  to  his  cousin  ;  but  lie  refused  to  accompany  her  to 
Miguel's,  offering  various  excuses. 

Saturdays  he  always  breakfasted  at  la  brigadiera's. 
On  the  first  Saturday  after  Miguel's  departure,  Julita, 
though  she  usually  took  breakfast  with,  Maximina,  came 
home  in  honor  of  her  cousin,  and  because  it  was  no  longer 
possible  for  her  to  hide  the  passionate  love  which  she  felt 
for  him.  During  breakfast  time  he  was  as  jovial  and 
amusing  as  ever ;  nevertheless,  Julita's  loving  eyes  were 
able  to  detect  in  his  gestures  a  peculiar  excitement,  as 
though  his  mind  were  preoccupied.  Naturally  she  attrib- 
uted it  to  what  most  concerned  her ;  to  the  love  con- 
stantly growing  more  tender  and  ardent  which  her  cousin 
manifested  toward  her.  When  they  had  finished,  he 
asked  her  in  a  careless  tone  :  — 

"  Is  your  piano  teacher  coming  to-day?" 

"Yes;  at  four." 

"  Then,"  said  he,  still  more  indifferently,  if  possible, 
"you  will  not  return  to  Maximina's  until  you  have  had 
your  lesson,  I  suppose." 

"Of  course  not  .  .  .  there  is  no  need  of  making  the 
journey  twice,"  replied  la  brigadiera. 

They  went  to  the  sitting-room,  and  Julita  sat  down  at 
the  piano  with  Alfonso  at  her  side.  The  charming  girl 
struck  an  opportune  forte  which  drowned  out  the  tender 
words  which  her  cousin  began  whispering  in  her  ear. 

"Julita,  your  eyes  shine  so  to-day,  that  if  you  wanted 
to  set  my  heart  on  fire,  you  could  do  it  this  very  instant." 

"Pedal!  pedal!"  cried  the  girl,  laughing;  and  she 
quenched  the  dandy's  last  words  with  a  deafening 
crash . 

She  again  put  on  the  soft  pedal,  and  began  gently  to 
touch  the  piano.  Don  Alfonso  took  advantage  of  the 
diminuendo  to  say  :  — 


310  MAXIMINA. 

"Julita,  I  adore  3-011 ;  I  love  you  more  than  my 
life..  .  .  ." 

"Pedal!  pedal!"  exclaimed  the  girl  again,  and  she 
did  not  allow  him  to  finish.  But  after  a  few  moments  of 
this  rapturous  amusement,  Don  Alfonso  exclaimed,  raising 
his  hand  to  his  forehead  :  — 

"Oh,  how  unfortunate  !  " 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Why,  my  uncle  is  going  to  Seville  to-day,  and  I  have 
not  yet  been  to  the  notary's  to  arrange  my  mother's 
papers." 

"Oh,  you  snipe  !  Hurry  !  go  and  get  them  ;  you  have 
time." 

"  Oh,  if  it  were  merely  a  question  of  getting  them  !  .  .  . 
I  must  look  over  a  good  part  of  them,  and  add  my  signa- 
ture." 

"  Run,  then,  lazybones  .  .  .  run  !  .  .  .  You  may  be  sure 
that  your  mamma  will  lay  your  negligence  at  my  door." 

Julita  said  this,  pretending  to  be  angry,  but  without  be- 
ing able  to  hide  the  pleasure  that  the  supposition  caused 
her. 

"  I  was  going  to  spend  such  a  delicious  afternoon ! 
And  now  to  have  to  go  to  a  notary's  office  to  eat  dust  and 
make  my  head  ache  !  " 

"  Go,  go !  The  first  thing  to  do  is  the  first  thing  to  be 
done  !  .  .  .  At  any  rate,  you  were  in  a  fair  way  of  telling  a 
good  many  fibs  this  afternoon.  .  .  ." 

"  Honest,  genuine  truths,  cousin  divine  !  " 

Don  Alfonso's  berlina  was  waiting  at  the  corner  of  the 
street,  according  to  the  orders  that  he  had  given  the  coach- 
man. He  lighted  an  Havana  and  as  he  slammed  the  door 
to,  he  said  :  — 

"  To  the  Riveras'." 

Any  one  seeing  him  leaning  back  in  his  carriage,  with 


MAX1MINA.  311 

his  cigar  between  his  teeth,  would  have  taken  him  for  an 
elegant  swell  about  to  have  a  drive  through  the  Caste- 
liana. 

Still  the  same  frown,  a  sign  of  intense  questioning, 
which  had  appeared  on  his  brow  when  he  said  good  by  to 
Miguel  at  the  Ateneo,  now  furrowed  it  again,  perhaps 
deeper  and  darker  than  ever. 

"At  six,  as  always,  at  the  Swiss  restaurant,"  he  said 
to  his  driver,  as  he  dismounted  from  the  landau. 

And  with  slow  step,  his  face  a  trifle  pale,  he  entered 
the  doorway  of  Miguel's  house,  and  mounted  the  stair- 
case. 

He  rang  the  bell  vigorously,  like  a  familiar  and  honored 
friend. 

Placida  came  to  open  for  him. 

"  Senorito,  it  is  good  to  see  you !  "  she  exclaimed,  with 
the  sympathy  inspired  in  maid-sei'vant  by  visitors  when 
they  are  handsome  men. 

"Hold!  little  one,"  said  the  caballero,  in  a  conde- 
scending tone,  giving  her  a  little  pat  on  the  cheek ; 
' '  your  master  in  ?  " 

"  But  don't  you  know  that  the  senorito  went  last  Mon- 
day to  Galicia?  It  is  plain  enough  that  you  don't  often 
soil  the  staircase  of  this  house  with  the  dust  of  your 
boots." 

"La  senorita?"  asked  the  fine  gentleman,  with  an 
absent-minded  gesture,  at  the  same  time  depositing  his 
cane  and  hat  on  the  rack. 

"  She  is  sewing  in  her  boudoir.  .  .  .  Shall  I  take  up 
your  card?" 

"  There  is  no  need,"  he  replied,  starting  with  a  firm 
step  toward  the  parlor,  and  opening  the  boudoir  door. 

Maximina  was  sewing  on  some  article  of  clothing  for 
the  baby,  who,  absolutely  removed  from  the  political 


312  MAXIMINA. 

struggles  in  which  his  papa  was  engaged,  was  sleeping  in 
the  bedroom,  and  occupying  a  good  half  of  the  bed.  The 
young  mother's  thoughts  were  flying  over  the  white  peaks 
of  the  Guadarrama,  traversing  the  desert  plains  of  Cas- 
tille,  and  losing  themselves  among  the  leafy  groves  of 
Gah'cia. 

"  Will  he  have  socks  enough?"  she  was  asking  herself, 
at  that  moment.  This  had  been  a  serious  anxiety  to 
Maximina  ever  since  her  husband's  departure.  "  Eight 
pairs  aren't  sufficient,  can't  be  sufficient,  if  he  changes 
them  every  day,  as  he  usually  does.  In  that  country  I 
believe  they  don't  wash  clothes  very  often.  Ay !  Di6s 
mio !  and  if  it  should  rain,  and  he  get  his  feet  wet !  how 
could  he  change  them  two  or  three  times  a  day  as  he  does 
here  ?  .  .  .  I  am  sure  that  it  would  never  occur  to  him 
to  buy  some  new  ones.  .  .  .  He  is  very  thoughtless  !  " 

The  door-bell  rang.  As  she  raised  her  head,  her  eyes 
met  Don  Alfonso's. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  the  surprise  that  Maximina 
felt  at  that  sudden  apparition,  and  the  surprise  and  terror 
that  took  possession  of  her.  She  turned  pale,  even  livid, 
then  her  face  grew  crimson,  then  once  more  pale  ;  all  in 
the  space  of  a  few  seconds. 

Saavedra  shut  the  door,  and  offered  her  his  hand  with 
perfect  ease  and  self-possession. 

"  How  are  you,  Maximina?" 

She  could  scarcely  articulate  her  answer.  Her  hand 
trembled  violently. 

"  What  does  this  mean?  You  are  trembling,"  said  the 
caballero,  retaining  it  a  moment  in  his. 

She  made  no  reply. 

"  If  it  were  an  enemy  who  came  in,  I  should  understand 
this  agitation  ;  but  as  I  am  such  a  devoted  friend  ...  so 
stupidly  devoted  as  I  am  to  you.  ...  I  am  wrong  to  call 


MAXIMINA.  313 

myself  a  friend :  I  should  do  better  to  call  myself  your 
slave,  for  these  many  days  you  have  exercised  an  abso- 
lute dominion  over  me." 

The  young  wife's  features  were  contracted  by  a  smile 
which  seemed  rather  like  a  face  of  terror.  Her  eyes  ex- 
pressed the  same  dismay.  She  tried  to  say  something, 
but  her  voice  died  in  her  throat. 

"  The  last  time  that  I  spoke  with  you,  Maximina,"  the 
Audalnsian  went  on  to  say,  after  he  had  taken  a  seat  at 
her  side,  "  I  was  bold  enough  to  give  you  a  hint  of  what 
was  passing  within  my  heart.  Perhaps  I  was  foolish ; 
but  the  step  has  been  taken,  and  I  cannot  retrace  it.  I 
must  complete  to-day  what  then  I  did  not  do  more  than 
indicate  ;  I  must  express  to  you,  —  although  it  is  very  dif- 
ficult—  the  love,  the  idolatry  that  you  inspire  in  me,  the 
terrible  anxieties  which  I  have  been  suffering  for  more 
than  a  month,  the  state  of  genuine  madness  to  which  your 
cruelty  has  brought  me.  ..." 

Maximina  continued  speechless.  She  looked  like  a 
statue  of  Desolation. 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  you  all,  all !  You  will  pardo'n  me, 
will  you  not,  lovely  Maximina  ?  " 

And  the  audacious  caballero  pronounced  these  words 
with  his  insinuating,  mellow  voice,  at  the  same  time 
gently  laying  the  palm  of  his  hand  on  the  back  of 
Maximina's.  She  withdrew  it  as  though  she  had  touched 
a  vile  animal ;  and  leaping  to  her  feet,  as  though  pushed 
by  a  spring,  she  ran  to  the  door,  and  hastened  into  the 
parlor. 

Don  Alfonso  followed  her,  and  caught  her  by  her  arm. 
Then,  pulling  herself  away  with  remarkable  power,  she 
broke  from  his  touch,  but,  instead  of  running,  she  faced 
him  with  flaming  cheeks,  looking  at  him  with  frenzied 
eyes  that  were  frightful  to  see. 


314  MAXIMINA. 

The  truth  is,  that  among  the  many  attitudes  which  he 
had  imagined  that  Miguel's  wife  might  assume,  Saavedra 
had  never  thought  of  such  an  one.  He  expected  repulses, 
indignant  phrases,  even  insulting  words,  and  he  was  pre- 
pared to  meet  them  with  a  cold  and  careless  mien ;  he 
expected  to  be  commanded  to  .go  on  the  instant,  he  ex- 
pected the  threat  that  she  would  shout,  and  he  was  like- 
wise prepared  with  what  to  say  to  calm  her  immediately  ; 
finally,  in  the  depths  of  his  heart,  his  presumption  flattered 
him  by  saying  that  Maximina  could  not  long  resist  his 
attraction  and  his  fame  as  a  seducer.  But  these  strange, 
inconvenient  flights,  this  mute  terror,  surprised  and  some- 
what disconcerted  him. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Maximina,"  he  asked, 
though  the  poor  child  was  not  doing  anything ;  but  it  was 
well  to  warn  her  for  some  event.  —  "If  you  should  cry  or 
call  your  servants,  you  would  be  seriously  compromised ; 
there  would  be  a  scandal,  everybody  would  know  about 
it,  including  your  husband,  and  you  would  lose  much 
more  than  you  have  any  idea  of.  ...  Come  now,  be 
reasonable,"  he  added,  in  the  same  mellow  voice  in  which 
he  had  spoken  before,  and  approaching  her.  "  The  thing 
is  not  worth  taking  in  this  tragic  fashion.  It  is  not 
strange  that  I  am  desperately  in  love  with  you,  nor  am  I 
to  blame  for  it,  but  the  God  who  made  you  so  beautiful, 
so  sweet,  so  simpdtica.  .  .  .  And  if  you  should  grant  me 
one  little  favor  —  let  me  kiss  one  hand  as  a  reward  for  so 
much  adoration,  for  so  many  sad  and  bitter  hours  which 
I  have  suffered  during  the  last  month,  I  think  it  would  not 
be  very  strange,  either.  It  would  be  on  your  part  not  a 
proof  of  love,  which  I  know  well  I  do  not  deserve,  but 
rather  of  your  kind  heart,  of  your  generous  nature  which, 
even  on  such  an  occasion  as  this,  cannot  be  forsworn. 
This  favor,  though  insignificant  in  the  world's  eyes  and 


MAXIMINA.  315 

before  your  conscience,  would  be  in  mine  immense ;  it 
would  be  a  secret  between  us  two  until  death.  .  .  .  My 
gratitude  for  it  would  be  eternal.  .  .  .  Come,  lovely 
Maximina,  don't  give  the  lie  to  your  goodness.  ...  I 
beg  it  of  you  on  my  knees.  Let  me  touch  my  lips  to  your 
hand,  and  go  away  calm  and  happy.  .  .  .  Do  you  wish 
greater  humiliation  than  this  ?  " 

The  audacious  and  astute  caballero,  in  saying  these  last 
words,  in  reality  bent  his  knee,  and  seized  one  of  the 
young  woman's  hands.  But  she  snatched  it  away  with 
surprising  bravery,  and  glanced  around  with  a  face  full  of, 
terror,  as  though  seeking  for  aid.  Then  she  went  like  a 
flash  to  Miguel's  study.  Don  Alfonso  followed  her,  like- 
wise running.  The  young  woman  took  her  stand  behind 
the  table,  and  once  more  cast  upon  him  that  timid  and 
uncertain  glance,  in  reality  like  that  of  one  insane. 

Miguel  had  left  open  on  the  table  his  shaving  case,  and 
the  razor  that  he  had  used  lay  on  top,  also  open. 

By  a  refinement  of  affection  Maximina  had  been 
unwilling  to  touch  these  objects  or  to  allow  any  one  else 
to  do  so,  but  left  them  till  his  return.  She  quickly  seized 
the  razor,  and  laying  it  to  her  throat,  she  said  in  a  hoarse 
voice  :  — 

"  If  you  touch  me  again,  I  will  kill  myself !  I  will  kill 
myself ! " 

These  were  the  first  words  that  she  spoke  during  the 
who! ;  scene,  though  it  lasted  several  minutes. 

The  tone  in  which  she  spoke  and  the  look  with  which 
she  accompanied  her  words,  left  no  room  for  doubt. 
Saavedra  knew  that  though  she  would  not  kill  herself,  yet 
that  she  would  give  herself  a  slash,  that  the  blood  would 
run,  and  that  there  would  be  a  serious  piece  of  mischief 
in  which  he  would  appear  in  no  enviable  light.  Therefore 
he  hastened  to  say  :  — 


316  MAXIM  IN  A. 

"  I  will  not  touch  you  ;  don't  be  afraid."  And  then  he 
added  with  an  ironical  smile,  in  a  tone  overflowing  with 
spite,  "Come,  come!  where  it  is  least  to  be  expected 
there  arises  a  Lucretia.  If  I  were  an  artist,  Maximina, 
I  would  paint  you  this  way  with  your  arm  raised,  and 
would  send  you  to  the  exhibition.  The  razor  is  a  trifle 
prosaic,  but  that  is  the  fault  of  the  times.  Lucretias 
nowadays,  instead  of  an  embossed  dagger  use  their  hus- 
bands' razor ! " 

Perhaps  the  rejected  seducer  would  have  gone  on  fling- 
ing at  his  expected  victim  other  coarse  insults  and  cow- 
ardlj'  jests  like  the  above,  but  at  that  instant  Maximina's 
quick  ear  caught  the  soft  and  delicate  voice  of  her  little 
one,  who  was  just  waking  up  in  the  sleeping-room  ;  it  was 
so  slight  a  sound  that  only  a  mother  could  have  heard  it 
at  that  distance. 

She  threw  down  the  razor,  and  exclaimed,  "  My  heart's 
delight,  I  am  coming." 

She  flew  like  an  arrow  past  Don  Alfonso.  If  he  had 
attempted  to  stay  her  flight,  she  would  certainly  have 
knocked  him  over  with  the  impetus  that  she  had  and  her 
muscular  development. 

The  caballero  had  no  thought  of  doing  any  such  thing. 
What  he  did  was  to  turn  on  his  heels,  take  his  hat,  and 
set  out  to  dissipate  his  ill  humor  and  vexation  on  the 
Castellana. 

Maximina's  calmness  quickly  returned.  Nevertheless, 
a  few  hours  afterward  she  began  to  feel  such  an  intense 
chill  that  she  was  obliged  to  go  to  bed  and  ask  for  a  cup 
of  tila.  On  the  following  day  she  was  all  right  again. 
She  thought  of  sending  word  to  Miguel,  asking  him  to 
come  home,  but  on  second  thought  she  saw  that  she  would 
be  obliged  to  give  some  reason,  and  she  had  none.  And 
if  he  should  have  any  suspicion  and  oblige  her  to  confess 


MAXIMINA.  317 

what  had  taken  place?  He  would  certainly  challenge 
Saavedra,  who,  as  he  was  an  expert  in  such  affairs,  would 
kill  him. 

"  Oh,  I  would  kill  myself  sooner  than  tell  him !" 
And  the  faithful  wife,  at  the  mere  thought  of  it,  shiv- 
ered with  horror. 

xxrv. 

"THE  first  part  of  my  plan  has  'gang  agley';  now 
let  us  see  if  I  shall  be  luckier  in  the  second,"  said  Don 
Alfonso,  on  leaving  Miguel's  house. 

That  afternoon,  while  his  eyes  were  wandering  at  hap- 
hazard over  the  throng  of  carriages  flying  up  and  down 
the  Castellana,  he  was  deeply  engaged  in  concocting  the 
most  odious  and  villanous  plans,  which  we  shall  shortly 
find  him  carrying  into  execution. 

During  the  days  that  followed,  he  began  to  show  more 
attention  and  love  to  his  cousin  than  ever,  spending  long 
hours  in  her  company.  This  sudden  ardor  on  her  lover's 
part  was  sufficient  to  turn  Julita's  head  completely.  The 
asperity  of  her  restless  and  ardent  temperament  had 
already  for  some  time  been  changing  into  mildness.  Don 
Alfonso,  owing  to  la,  brigadiera's  blameworthy  careless- 
ness, had  got  into  the  habit  of  taking  certain  liberties 
with  her,  innocent  enough  in  themselves,  but  extremely 
dangerous.  When  he  had  made  her  his  slave,  he  asked 
her  one  day  :  — 

"  Julita,  do  you  want  to  marry  me?" 

"  What  a  question  !  "  exclaimed  the  girl,  growing  crim- 
son as  a  poppy. 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  have  it  understood  that  you  accept 
me  as  your  husband." 

"  Who  told  you  so,  jackanapes."1 
1  Majadero. 


318  MAXIMINA. 

"  You  have  told  me  with  those  sharp  eyes  of  yours 
ever  since  I  knew  you  !  You  cari't  deny  it,  Julia  !  " 

"Tonto!  tonto!  you  insufferable  fellow!"  exclaimed 
the  girl,  trying  to  be  angry. 

"  Let  us  not  speak  any  more  of  that.  That  matter  is 
settled.  In  the  first  place,  we  have  both  agreed,  La  Seno- 
rita  Dona  Julia  Rivera  on  the  one  hand,  and  Don  Alfonso 
Saavedra  on  the  other,  that  we  wish  to  enter  into  wedlock. 
Now  then,  how  to  carry  our  project  into  effect?  I  have 
already  reached  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  my  age  —  if  }*ou 
did  not  know  it  before,  you  know  it  now."  (Julia  laughed.) 
"  Consequently  the  law  authorizes  me  to  marry  whenever  I 
wish,  without  my  mother's  consent.  Still  this  permission 
is  indispensable  for  me,  in  the  first  place,  on  account  of 
the  frantic  affection  which  she  professes  for  me ;  on 
account  of  the  duty  that  I  owe  her  of  not  going  against 
her  wishes  or  causing  her  a  grief  which  the  poor  woman 
does  not  deserve  ;  and  in  the  second  place,  through  a  selfish 
consideration,  which  is  likewise  of  much  weight.  I  have 
been  a  wretch,  Julita ;  a  prodigal  who  has  in  a  few 
years  run  through  the  fortune  that  I  inherited  from  my 
father.  The  result  of  that  is  that  I  now  find  myself  at 
my  mother's  mercy,  and  she,  be  it  said  in  the  interest  of 
truth,  has  not  hitherto  been  niggardly  toward  me.  But 
as  you  can  easily  imagine,  I  don't  know  what  might 
happen  if  I  married  against  her  wishes.  Now  then,  I 
confess  with  shame,  I  am  not  used  to  working,  nor  even 
if  I  wanted  to  work  should  I  know  what  to  set  my  hand 
to.  So  then,  we  must  tell  my  mamma,  if  we  are  to  get 
married.  To-morrow  I  will  write  her,  and  if,  as  I  have 
no  reason  to  doubt,  she  has  no  objection  to  our  marriage, 
we  can  immediately  set  the  time  for  it." 

What  a  sleepless  night  Julita  spent !  and  yet  how 
happy  a  night  it  was  ! 


MAXIMINA.  319 

Don  Alfonso  took  it  for  granted  that  their  marriage  was 
settled,  and  even  spoke  of  it  as  though  it  had  already 
taken  place.  The  talks  which  they  had  during  the  four 
days  which  elapsed  between  the  letter  and  its  answer  were 
almost  all  concerned  with  the  preparations  to  be  made 
for  the  wedding,  —  what  they  would  do  after  they  were 
joined,  etc.  Julia  waited  impatiently  for  the  mamma's 
answer  from  Seville.  As  for  la  brigadiera,  as  Don 
Alfonso  was  her  right  e}-e,  she  had  never  taken  her 
into  consideration  at  all.  By  his  advice  she  had  not 
said  a  word  to  her  about  it  as  yet. 

At  last  the  letter  came. 

Would  that  it  had  never  come  !  Saavedra  entered  his 
mint's  house  with  his  face  pale"  and  dark  lines  under  his 
eyes,  and  with  a  mortal  sadness  depicted  on  it.  In  order 
to  accomplish  this  theatrical  effect  he  had  spent  the  previous 
night  in  a  drunken  spree.  Julia's  face  changed  when  she 
saw  him  ;  then  instantly  she  knew  by  intuition  what  news 
he  had  brought.  When  they  had  taken  their  seat  together 
by  the  piano,  the  place  where  they  had  carried  on  almost 
all  their  secret  conversations,  the  caballero  exclaimed  in  a 
tone  full  of  sorrow,  and  hiding  his  face  in  his  hands :  — 

"  How  unhappy  I  am,  Julita  !  " 

She  was  silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  said  :  — 

"Your  mother  does  not  consent  to  our  marriage, — is 
that  it?" 

Don  Alfonso  did  not  reply.  Silence  reigned  for  some 
time.  Finally  Julia  broke  it  in  a  trembling  voice  :  — 

"  Don't  take  it  so  to  heart,  Alfonso.  Instead  of  helping 
me,  you  take  away  my  courage." 

"  You  are  right,  my  beauty  !  even  in  this  I  am  selfish. 
I  ought  to  consider  that  beside  the  grief  that  you  feel  as 
keenly  as  I  do,  if  you  love  me,  you  have  had  an  insult 
put  upon  3-ou." 


320  MAXIMINA. 

"  No,  no,"  the  young  girl  hastened  to  say ;  "I  do  not 
feel  that  it  is  an  insult.  All  I  feel  is  that  I  cannot  be 
yours." 

Saavedra  gave  her  a  fascinating  look  of  love,  and  pressed 
her  hand  warmly. 

"  Mamma  does  not  speak  unkindly  of  you.  If  she  had 
said  anything  that  could  be  construed  as  derogatory  to 
you,  I  should  know  well  how  to  reply  to  it.  It  will  be 
better  for  you  to  read  her  letter  for  yourself,"  he  said, 
taking  it  from  his  pocket. 

This  letter  had  been  written  by  Saavedra  himself,  coun- 
terfeiting her  penmanship  and  sending  it  to  a  friend  to  be 
mailed  back  from  Seville  ;  it  was  a  document  remarkable 
for  its  ingenuity.  Julia's  name  was  not  mentioned  in  it ; 
the  mamma  deeply  lamented,  because  she  had  dreamed 
of  a  brilliant  match  for  her  dear  boy ;  he  well  knew  who 
she  was.  This  had  been  the  hope  of  all  her  life,  she  had 
pledged  her  word,  and  all  the  relatives  were  counting  upon 
it ;  finally,  that  as  now  she  was  getting  old  and  feeble, 
this  disappointment  would  certainly  cause  her  death. 

The  effect  caused  by  this  letter  on  the  young  girl  was 
exactly  what  its  author  intended.  Instead  of  quenching 
the  fire,  it  made  it  burn  all  the  more  fiercely  ;  jealousy  was 
the  principal  fuel  in  this  case. 

"Who  is  the  woman  whom  they  want  you  to  marry, 
Alfonso?"  asked  Julita  timidly,  while  big  tears  rolled 
down  her  cheeks. 

"I  don't  know,. I  don't  know,  let  me  alone!"  he  ex- 
claimed, with  a  gesture  of  despair. 

"  Tell  me,  Alfonso  :  I  am  very  anxious  to  know." 

"  "What  difference  does  it  make  who  she  is?  I  hate  her, 
I  detest  her." 

"  At  any  rate,  I  want  to  know  what  her  name  is." 

"  She  is  the  Countess  de  San  Clemente." 


MAXIMINA.  321 

"  Is  she  young?" 

k  •  Much  older  than  you  are  :  she  is  at  least  twenty-five 
or  twenty-six." 

"Is  she  pretty?" 

"How  do  I  know?  What  difference  does  it  make  to 
me  whether  she  is  pretty  or  homely  ?  " 

"  But  is  she  pretty?" 

"They  sa}-  she  is;  but  I  tell  you  that  it  makes  no 
difference  to  me." 

The  girl  was  silent  for  a  long  time  ;  her  heart  beat  vio- 
lently. At  length  she  said  in  a  melancholy  tone,  giving 
her  lover  an  anxious  look  :  — 

"  They  will  persuade  you,  Alfonso.  At  last  you  will 
agree  to  marry  her." 

The  Andalusian  caballero  looked  at  her  with  an  angry 
face,  and  exclaimed  with  energy  :  — 

"They  might  tear  me  in  pieces  before  such  a  thing 
happened !  " 

"You  cannot  be  perfectly  sure  of  it,"  said  she,  look- 
ing at  him  with  the  same  anxiety;  "they  will  continue 
working  at  you,  working  at  you ;  the}'  will  get  you  so 
entangled  that  finally  there  will  be  no  way  out  of  it  but 
to  yield." 

"No,  I  swear  to  you,  no  !  Come,  don't  speak  any  more 
of  this,  Julita,  for  this  sort  of  talk  annoys  me  very  much." 

For  a  moment  the  young  girl's  eyes  sparkled  joyfully. 
Then  the  same  expression  of  unhappiness  came  back  into 
them. 

Five  or  six  days  passed.  Don  Alfonso  'redoubled  his 
manifestations  of  affection.  Nevertheless,  such  oppres- 
sive unhappiness  weighed  upon  the  lovers  that  they  were 
obliged  to  remain  long  moments  in  silence,  with  their 
heads  down  and  their  eyes  fixed  on  vacancy.  Julita  often 
shed  tears,  and  Saavedra,  also  overwhelmed  with  sorrow, 


322  MAXIMINA. 

put  forth  useless  efforts  to  console  her.  The  truth  was, 
they  saw  no  way  out  of  their  difficulties.  The  horizon 
was  absolutely  shut  in  and  dark. 

"  I  haven't  any  profession  whatever,"  said  the  caba- 
llero.  "If  we  were  to  many,  we  should  starve  to  death. 
.  .  .  That  is  the  result  of  having  educated  me  for  a  rich 
man !  " 

"As  for  starving  to  death,  I  don't  believe  it,"  said 
Julita,  her  face  deeply  flushing.  "  Mamma  and  I  are  not 
rich,  but  we  can  live  decently.  ...  It  is  clear  that  for 
you  who  are  accustomed  to  another  sort  of  life,  it  would 
be  very  hard  .  .  .  but  ..." 

"Oh,  don't  speak  of  that,  Julia!"  exclaimed  the  ca- 
ballero,  with  the  gesture  of  a  man  whose  diguit}'  was 
wounded.  ...  "  It  is  lowering  me  too  much  to  believe 
that  I  could  consent  for  you  to  support  me.  .  .  .  But 
even  if  I  were  so  low  as  that,  still  I  could  not  do  it, 
because  I  do  not  want  to  be  my  mother's  murderer." 

The  girl  said  no  more,  and,  as  often  before,  the  tears 
began  to  slide  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Does  your  mother  have  auy  suspicion  of  what  is 
going  on  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Then  be  very  careful.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do 
how  peculiar  she  is ;  if  she  had  a  suspicion  that  my 
mamma  objected,  she  would  spoil  the  whole  business,  and 
I  should  never  consent  to  set  my  foot  in  this  house  again." 

One  evening,  after  quite  a  number  of  days  had  passed, 
the  cabaUero  'came  with  his  face  brighter  than  it  had  been 
for  some  time.  Instead  of  sitting  down  near  the  piano, 
the  lovers  went  and  stood  in  the  bay-window.  After 
painting  things  in  very  black  colors  as  usual  and  lament- 
ing a  long  time,  Don  Alfonso  said  to  his  cousin :  — 

' '  As  I  have  been  thinking  of  nothing  else  than  this  all 


MAXIMINA.  323 

day  and  all  night,  certain  means  of  escaping  from  this 
difficulty  have  occurred  to  me.  I  have  not  told  them  to 
you,  for  they  are  very  absurd.  Still,  as  last  night  I  was 
walking  up  and  down  my  room  without  being  able  to 
sleep,  one  scheme  came  into  my  head,  and  this  one  is  very 
sure  but  very  bold  ...  so  much  so  that  I  am  afraid  to 
tell  it  to  you." 

"  Is  it  so  bad  as  all  that?" 

"Bad,  no;  but  bold.  It  requires  you  to  disregard 
certain  social  conventions  and  to  show  a  great  will  power." 

"  Come,  then,  tell  me.  I  am  very  curious  to  hear 
about  it." 

"Very  well  then,  Julia;  mamma,  though  you  imagine 
her  to  be  a  hard  woman,  because  of  your  childish  recollec- 
tions and  because  in  reality  she  has  a  cold  and  serious 
exterior  which  prejudices  against  her,  has  a  heart  that  is 
in  reality  very  warm.  She  has  given  me  unequivocal 
proofs  of  it,  oftentimes  forgiving  me  almost  too  quickly 
for  very  serious  faults.  Her  character  is  as  haughty  as 
your  mamma's  ;  but  these  natures  are  easy  to  overcome  ; 
to  make  them  yield  it  needs  only  that  you  humiliate  your- 
self. .  .  .  This  is  what  I  was  thinking  of  last  night :  — 
If  Julia  had  the  courage  to  make  a  decided  stroke  and 
elope  with  me  to  Seville  and  present  ourselves  before  her, 
I  am  certain  that  she  would  not  hesitate  to  forgive  us  and 
grant  us  her  blessing.  No  woman,  however  bad  she  is, 
would  consent  to  let  the  daughter  of  her  own  cousin  be 
dishonored." 

"This  scheme  is  madness.  I  cannot  believe  that  you 
would  propose  to  me  such  an  atrocious  thing  !  " 

"  I  do  not  propose  it.  All  I  do  is  to  report  to  you  a 
thought  which  occurred  to  me.  If  I  cannot  tell  you  what 
my  heart  feels  and  what  passes  through  my  mind,  whom 
shall  I  tell  it  to,  Julia  miaf" 


324  MAXIMINA. 

"This  is  the  last  thing  that  you  ought  to  have  con- 
ceived ! " 

"I  have  thpught  so  much  that  it  is  not  strange  if  it 
were  the  last  thing  that  I  did  conceive.  The  project 
would  be  very  audacious,  violent,  and  repugnant  to  you, 
but  not  a  piece  of  folly  as  you  say  ;  it  is  a  certain,  infal- 
lible means  of  attaining  what  we  desire." 

"  Well,  then,  even  if  it  is  certain  and  infallible,  I  will 
not  hear  to  it,  do  you  understand?" 

Don  Alfonso  did  not  give  up  conquered.  He  continued 
to  argue  the  point,  not  losing  his  calmness,  adducing 
reasons,  mentioning  various  examples  which  he  had  al- 
ready prepared,  and  in  a  thousand  skilful  ways  over- 
coming Julia's  scruples.  But  even  when  the  girl  found 
herself  cornered,  captured  in  the  net  of  her  lover's  sophis- 
tries, she  suddenly  grew  angry  and  exclaimed,  "Well, 
even  if  it  be  as  you  say,  still  I  don't  like  it,  I  don't  like 
it,  and  that  is  sufficient !  " 

Julia,  though  endowed  with  a  rash  and  impetuous  nature, 
had  an  undisturbed  conscience  ;  she  was  a  good  girl  and 
that  was  the  veiy  reason  why  this  scheme  deeply  wounded 
her  sense  of  propriety.  Nevertheless,  Saavedra  kept  con- 
stantly tormenting  her  with  the  hope  of  shaking  her. 

The  afternoon  was  now  declining ;  the  boudoir  began 
to  fill  with  shadows.  Don  Alfonso  had  at  last  exhausted 
all  the  powers  at  his  command,  and  was  still  far  from 
attaining  his  end. 

"  Very  well,"  said  he  after  a  long  silence,  doing  his 
best  to  hide  his  scorn  and  giving  his  words  a  peculiarly 
melancholy  intonation,  "  I  have  eagerly  tried  to  find  some 
way  of  escaping  from  the  painful  situation  in  which  we 
are.  I  propose  to  you  the  only  practicable  and  certain 
method.  You  yourself  have  seen  that  it  was  so  and  you 
have  comprehended  the  necessity  of  adopting  some  ener- 


MAXIMINA.  325 

getic  plan.  And  yet  you  refuse  to  accept  it.  I  respect 
the  scruples  which  you  entertain  in  regard  to  it,  but  you 
will  permit  me  to  tell  you  that  the  woman  who  really  and 
truly  loves  will  rise  above  them.  If  the  love  that  you  had 
for  me  were  as  great  as  you  say  ..." 

"Alfonso!" 

"  I  know  well  that  you  love  me  —  don't  go  to  protesting. 
.  .  .  But  the  fact  is,  that  though  we  love  each  other  very 
much,  we  are  very  unhappy  and  we  find  no  way  of  escaping 
from  it.  What  is  left  for  us  to  do?  Nothing  but  to  part 
and  never  see  each  other  again." 

"O  Alfonso!" 

"  Yes,  Julia,  yes ;  it  must  be  :  we  must  separate,  and 
forever.  Here  all  that  we  do  is  to  torment  ourselves  cru- 
elly. It  is  an  infernal  life  to  have  happiness  before  our 
eyes  and  not  be  able  to  touch  it.  Before  proposing  this 
last  recourse,  — which  is  very  harsh  to  be  sure,  —  but  abso- 
lutely indispensable,  —  I  firmly  decided  to  leave  the  coun- 
try, in  case  you  did  not  accept  it.  So  to-morrow  I  take  the 
train  for  Paris.  I  confess  frankly  I  have  not  the  strength 
to  endure  this  tormenting  situation." 

The  astute  cabaUero  ceased  speaking.  Julia  likewise 
was  silent :  a  melancholy  pallor  spread  over  her  lovely 
face  ;  her  eyes  were  fixed  wildly  on  a  point  of  space,  and 
she  sat  motionless  as  a  statue.  Don  Alfonso  left  her  in 
this  situation  a  long  time  without  disturbing  her  eager  and 
anxious  thoughts,  though  he  kept  looking  at  her.  Her 
pallor  kept  growing  more  and  more  pronounced. 

When  he  felt  that  the  right  moment  had  arrived,  the 
wily  seducer  went  to  take  his  hat  which  he  had  laid  on  the 
piano,  and  returning  to  the  girl,  and  holding  out  his  hand, 
he  said  in  a  trembling  voice  :  — 

"  Adids,  Julia!" 

She  retained  it  a  moment,  and  then,  giving  him  a  des- 
perate look,  her  face  being  now  livid,  said  :  — 


326  MAXIMIXA. 

"  Don't  go,  Alfonso.  Do  with  me  what  you  please.  I 
am  ready  to  follow  you." 

The  caballero,  after  assuring  himself  that  his  aunt  could 
not  see  them,  long  held  her  tightly  enfolded  in  his  arms. 


XXV. 

"  BOY,  bring  me  a  glass  of  limon.  .  .  .  Bring  me  two, 
do  you  hear? " 

The  banker  was  choking.  He  was  a  short,  stout  man, 
with  extremely  red  cheeks.  He  unbuttoned  his  shirt  col- 
lar and  went  on  shuffling  the  cards,  all  the  time  snorting 
furiously,  as  though  he  were  threatened  by  some  apoplectic 
attack. 

"  Game." 

The  players  made  their  play,  laying  their  stakes  beside 
the  cards.  A  gloved  hand  placed  a  package  of  bills  on 
one  of  them. 

"  How  much  of  that  do  you  bet,  Saavedra?  "  asked  the 
fat  gambler,  lifting  his  eyes  which  were  full  of  terror  and 
seemed  to  ask  for  mercy. 

"  All,"  replied  the  Andalusian  caballero  dryly. 

"  How  much  is  there?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

His  tone  was  depreciative  enough.  However,  the 
banker  seemed  not  to  mind  it :  he  took  the  package  and 
began  to  count  it  under  the  watchful  eyes  of  the  group  of 
players  who  were  gathered  around  the  table,  some  seated, 
some  standing. 

"  There  are  forty-one  thousand  reals." 

"There  is  not  enough  in  the  bank,"  said  one  player, 
stretching  out  his  hand  for  his  stake. 

"  My  credit  is  good  for  it,"  replied  the  banker,  grow- 


MAXIMINA.  327 

ing  redder  and  redder ;  it  seemed  as  though  he  were 
going  to  burst.  While  the  banker  was  distributing  the 
cards,  absolute  silence  reigned.  Don  Alfonso's  was  a 
seven. 

"  That  is  the  end  of  it,"  said  the  banker,  with  ill-con- 
cealed dismay,  throwing  the  pack  down  on  the  table. 

Immediately  he  began  to  pay  the  smaller  stakes,  leav- 
ing Saavedra's  till  the  last.  When  he  came  to  him  there 
were  left  only  twenty-nine  thousand  reals. 

"  I  shall  owe  you  twelve  thousand,"  said  he,  handing 
over  all  that  he  had. 

Don  Alfonso  took  it  and  thrust  it  into  his  pocket 
angrily.  The  game  was  over.  The  banker,  mopping 
the  sweat  from  his  forehead  with  his  handkerchief,  went 
over  to  the  Andalusian,  who  had  taken  his  seat  on  a  sofa, 
and  was  calmly  reading  a  newspaper. 

' '  You  have  fifteen  thousand  duros  in  your  pocket,  my 
boy." 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Don  Alfonso,  without  look- 
ing up. 

"  But  I  know  :  Villar  and  Gonzalez  lost  nine  thousand, 
and  we  more  than  twelve  thousand.  All  the  rest  put  to- 
gether did  not  take  six  thousand." 

"  Pish  !  it  is  quite  possible,"  replied  the  caballero. 

"  Any  one  to  see  your  face  would  say  that  what  you 
carried  in  your  pocket  was  fifteen  thousand  stones.  See 
here,  lend  me  thirty  thousand  reals,  and  that  will  put  you 
in  good  humor." 

Don  Alfonso,  without  saying  a  word,  took  out  his 
pocket-book,  and  gave  him  a  handful  of  bills. 

"  Saavedra,  you  are  on  the  downward  track.  The 
other  evening  I  saw  you  in  a  box  at  the  theatre  making 
love  to  a  mighty  pretty  girl.  Be  careful !  on  the  day 
least  expected  you  will  be  getting  married." 


328  MAXIMINA. 

Don  Alfonso  took  out  his  watch,  and,  after  looking  at 
it,  smiled  coldly,  saying  :  — 

"At  this  very  moment  I  am  going  to  run  away  with 
that  same  little  girl.  I  am  going  abroad  with  her." 

"I  would  not  sell  myself  cheap,"  replied  the  other, 
without  once  thinking  that  it  might  be  true.  "  But  you 
would  soon  get  tired  of  it.  You  and  I  are  just  alike  ;  we 
are  too  old  for  such  escapades." 

"  Good  by,  Gubells." 

"  Good  by,  my  boy.  Don't  fail  to  be  on  hand  to-night, 
for  there  is  going  to  be  a  game  of  golfe." 

"  Haven't  I  told  you  that  I  am  going  to  run  awa\r  with 
that  little  girl  ?  "  rejoined  the  caballero  at  the  door,  with 
the  same  cold  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  A  nice  little  piece !  .  .  .  Come  back  as  soon  as  }-ou 
can  .  .  .  won't  you?  and  don't  fail  to  bring  the  marquis 
if  you  meet  him." 

Saavedra  slowly  descended  the  carpeted  staircase  of 
the  Circulo.  As  he  went  into  the  street  it  was  already 
growing  dark.  His  berlina  was  waiting  for  him  at  the 
door. 

"  See  here,  Julian !  take  me  now  to  the  Calle  de  Car- 
retas,  stop  there,  and  wait  near  the  mail-box.  A  seiiora 
will  come,  she  will  open  the  door,  and  get  in  with  me. 
As  soon  as  this  occurs,  without  a  moment's  delay  drive 
like  an  arrow  for  Jetafe.  You  are  well  acquainted  with 
the  road,  aren't  you  ?  Good !  then  it  will  be  ue<*essary, 
even  though  you  wind  the  horses,  to  get  us  there  in  a 
jiffy.  I  want  to  catch  the  train  that  leaves  there  at  half- 
past  eight.  Don't  you  be  troubled  at  the  adventure  ;  it  is 
a  ballet  girl  from  the  Real  who  wants  to  go  with  me  to 
Seville,  and  I  cannot  break  my  word.  When  we  reach 
Jetafe  I  will  give  you  further  instructions  about  what  you 
are  to  do." 


MAXIMINA.  329 

The  carriage  reached  the  Calle  de  Carre tas,  and  drew 
up  where  its  owner  had  commanded.  Don  Alfonso  leaned 
back  in  one  corner  so  as  to  avoid  the  glances  of  the  pas- 
sers-by, and  waited. 

Julia  had  been  spending  the  afternoon  at  her  sister-in- 
law's,  for  that  day  she  happened  not  to  have  a  piano 
lesson  ;  she  was  all  the  time  in  a  state  of  nervous  excite- 
ment, which  Maximina  was  not  slow  to  notice. 

"  What  is  the  matter?     Do  you  feel  ill?  "  she  asked. 

"No.  AVhat  makes  you  ask  ?  What  do  you  see  in  me 
that  is  strange?"  she  demanded,  full  of  alarm. 

"Nothing,  nothing!  don't  be  disturbed.  You  are  a 
trifle  paler  than  usual,  and  there  are  circles  under  your 
eyes,  nothing  more." 

"  Oh,  I  think  that  I  am  a  little  nervous  to-day." 

Maximiua  smiled  good-naturedly,  supposing  that  she 
might  have  had  some  falling  out  with  her  lover,  and  so 
she  ordered  some  tila  to  be  made  for  her. 

In  spite  of  the  deep  antipathy  which  she  felt  for  Don 
Alfonso  and  the  strong  reasons  that  she  had  for  consider- 
ing him  a  miscreant,  she  saw  that  Julita  was  so  desperately 
in  love  with  him  that  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  say 
a  word  against  him. 

As  the  afternoon  wore  on,  her  restlessness  increased. 
The  youngest  offshoot  of  the  race  of  the  Riveras  was 
many  times  on  the  point  of  suffering  in  some  slight  de- 
gree in  consequence  of  his  noble  aunt's  nervous  condi- 
tion. She  hugged  him  to  her  heart  tighter  than  was 
necessary  ;  she  tossed  him  up  into  the  air  and  caught 
him  again  ;  she  gave  him  hundreds  of  kisses  on  the  same 
spot  in  his  face  until  it  burned  brighter  than  a  coal,  and 
even  —  horrible  thing  —  bit  his  nose.  There  is  no  need 
of  saying  that  the  illustrious  baby,  swelling  with  indigna- 
tion, protested  against  such  treatment. 


330  MAXIMINA. 

The  voung  girl  likewise  showed  herself  more  tenderly 
affectionate  toward  Maximina  than  usual. 

"  Maximina,  how  good  you  are  !  how  good  you  are  !  " 

And  she  almost  squeezed  her  to  death  in  her  arms. 

"  I  wish  I  were.  I  should  like  to  be  good,"  replied  the 
young  wife,  blushing. 

"  How  much  I  would  give  to  be  like  you,  Maximina  !  " 

"  If  you  weren't  better,  you  would  be  a  pretty  poor 
specimen." 

"  Oh !  I  am  bad,  Maximum,  very  bad  !  .  .  .  But  you 
will  forgive  all  my  failings,  won't  you?" 

And  struck  by  a  sudden  inspiration,  she  jumped  up, 
saying :  — 

"  I  am  going  to  the  study  to  write  a  letter." 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  drink  your  tila?" 

"  Certainly  I  will  take  it ;  I  will  finish  it  afterward." 

She  went  to  her  brother's  writing-room,  and  began  in 
all  haste  to  pen  the  following  note  :  — 

"My  dearest  Maximina,  my  soul's  sister:  When  you 
receive  this,  poor  Julia  will  already  have  committed  a  great 
sin.  I  am  going  to  Seville  with  Alfonso  to  beg  his 
mother's  permission  for  us  to  marry.  Try  to  pacify  .  .  ." 

"  Julia,  your  tila  is  getting  cold,"  said  Maximina,  laying 
her  hand  on  the  girl's  shoulder. 

Julia  uttered  a  cry,  and  covered  the  paper  with  her 
hands. 

Maximina  stepped  back  in  consternation. 

"  Excuse  me  ;  dear,  you  took  me  so  by  surprise,"  said 
Julia,  smiling  and  very  rosy. 

"  I  am  the  one  to  ask  pardon  for  having  come  in  with- 
out knocking.  ...  I  did  not  think  .  .  .  Go  on,  go  on  .  .  ." 
she  added,  with  a  mischievous  smile  that  signified  :  "I 
know  whom  the  letter  is  for !  " 

How  far  the  innocent  young  woman  was  from  suspect- 
ing the  truth ! 


MAXIMINA.  831 

After  she  left  the  room,  Julia  finished  her  letter :  .  .  . 

"Try  to  pacify  mamrna,  and  Miguel  when  he  comes 
back.  I  think  that  in  the  end  all  will  be  satisfactorily 
arranged.  Alfonso,  though  he  is  a  little  cold,  is  a  perfect 
gentleman.  Pardon  and  love  your  sister  who  takes  her 
farewell  of  you  alone. — Julia" 

Don  Alfonso  had  charged  her  again  and  again,  and  with 
great  forethought,  not  for  anything  in  the  world  to  leave 
a  written  letter  giving  an  intimation  of  where  she  was 
going.  But  by  an  impulse  of  her  heart,  —  one  of  the 
many  that  are  inexplicable,  —  it  occurred  to  her  to  write 
to  her  sister-in-law,  in  whom  she  had  perfect  confidence. 

"I  am  going  now,"  she  said,  putting  on  a  hat  which 
had  a  thick  veil  to  let  down  over  her  eyes.  "It  is  din- 
ner time  already,  and  mamma  will  be  expecting  me.  Just 
think  !  I  have  not  seen  her  since  last  evening.  I  shall  be 
back  here  again  at  ten  o'clock." 

They  said  good  by  at  the  door.  Maximina  gave  her  a 
kiss  on  her  cheek  as  usual ;  she  repaid  it  with  a  dozen  so 
eager  and  affectionate  that  the  young  wife  could  not  help 
exclaiming  with  a  laugh  :  — 

"  How  crazy  you  are  !  " 

"  Crazy?  yes  !  and  very  crazy,"  she  replied,  as  she  went 
down  the  stairs,  not  turning  her  head. 

Her  kisses  and  the  accent  of  those  last  words  somewhat 
surprised  Maximina,  but  she  did  not  give  much  thought 
to  them,  and  shut  the  door. 

Juana  was  to  accompany  the  young  girl  to  her  mother's. 
When  they  reached  the  street,  it  was  almost  night.  On 
coming  to  the  Calle  de  Carretas,  the  Benorita  said :  — 

"  Juana,  do  me  the  favor  to  go  into  that  tobacconist's 
and  get  a  stamp  and  drop  this  letter  into  the  box.  .  .  . 
Can  you  read?"  she  added,  fearing  that  she  might  notice 
to  whom  it  was  directed. 


332  MAXIMINA. 

"  No,  senorita,"  replied  the  maid,1  abashed.  She  went 
into  the  tobacconist's,  and  Julia  made  her  believe  that 
she  would  wait  for  her  at  the  door ;  but  as  soon  as  she 
saw  her  approach  the  counter,  she  ran  dowu  the  street, 
and  on  reaching  the  carriage,  the  horses  of  which  she 
knew,  she  opened  the  door  and  slipped  fn.  Immediately 
a  man's  voice  was  heard  to  say  :  — 

"  Drive  hard,  Julian,  drive  hard  !  " 

The  horses,  lashed  by  the  coachman,  dashed  along  the 
avenue  ;  they  soon  left  behind  them  the  centre  of  popu- 
lation, and  galloped  half  frantically  down  Andalucia 
Avenue. 

When  they  reached  Jetafe,  the  train  was  already  whist- 
ling in  the  distance.  Don  Alfonso  bought  tickets,  and 
calling  Julian  aside,  said  :  — 

"To-morrow,  if  you  should  be  asked,  say  that  you 
drove  me  to  Pozuelo  for  the  train  on  the  Northern  Line  ; 
do  you  understand  ? " 

"  Depend  upon  me,  senorito." 

"  Here,"  said  he,  giving  him  some  bank-notes.  "  Take 
good  care  of  the  horses.  I  will  shortly  write  you  what 
you  are  to  do." 

The  train  rapidly  carried  the  fugitives  away,  not  toward 
Seville,  but  to  Lisbon.  At  midnight,  the  caballero  having 
stepped  out  a  moment,  came  back  with  a  look  of  annoy- 
ance, saying  that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  that  they  ought 
to  have  changed  cars  farther  back.  The  girl  was  stupe- 
fied and  dismayed. 

"  Don't  be  so  much  alarmed,  dear.  Now  instead  of 
staying  in  some  large  town  on  this  side  where  they  might 
get  knowledge  of  us  by  telegraph,  it  would  be  better  for 
us  to  go  into  Portugal,  and  from  there  go  directly  to 
Seville. " 

1  The  Guipuzcoana,  native  of  the  province  of  Guipuzcoa. 


MAXIMINA.  333 

Although  the  girl  protested  violently,  she  had  no  other 
remedy  than  to  consent. 

When  they  reached  Lisbon,  they  took  rooms  at  one  of 
the  best  hotels.  Don  Alfonso  promised  his  cousin  to  take 
her  the  next  day  to  Seville.  But  a  day  passed,  and  then  a 
second  and  third,  and  they  did  not  depart.  The  caballero 
found  one  special  pretext  for  postponing  the  journey. 
And  this  was  that  he  had  lost  his  luggage.  He  was  wait- 
ing for  the  arrival  of  the  telegram  that  he  sent  about  it. 

Julita  during  these  days  found  herself  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement,  so  that  she  passed  instantly  and  alter- 
nately from  noisy  and  unreasonable  gayety  to  deep  and 
extravagant  melancholy.  Sometimes  she  grew  angry 
with  her  cousin  and  overwhelmed  him  with  taunts  and 
threatened  to  escape  alone  or  to  inform  the  police  ;  then 
she  would  throw  herself  into  his  arms  and  ask  his  pardon. 
In  the  midst  of  the  deepest  sadness  her  lover  would  begin 
to  mimic  in  grotesque  fashion  the  accent  of  the  maid  who 
served  them,  and  the  girl  would  laugh  like  a  lunatic.  At 
other  times  she  grew  enthusiastic  at  the  view  of  the  bay 
and  the  royal  palace  of  Cintra. 

The  wily  caballero  humored  her  with  the  most  delicate 
and  affectionate  attentions.  When  she  lost  her  temper, 
he  would  allow  her  to  recover  from  it  without  saying  a 
word ;  when  she  was  sad,  he  would  do  everything  to 
enliven  her ;  when  finally  he  saw  that  she  looked  con- 
tented, he  would  take  advantage  of  such  moments  to  go 
out  to  walk  with  her,  giving  her  his  arm  as  though  they 
were  husband  and  wife.  They  were  regarded  as  a  newly 
married  couple  by  the  people  at  the  hotel. 

Nevertheless,  on  the  fourth  day  of  their  visit,  as  they 
were  in  their  sitting-room  after  breakfast,  Don  Alfonso 
leaning  back  in  an  easy-chair,  smoking  his  cigar,  she 
standing  in  front  of  the  mirror  getting  ready  to  go  out,  the 


334  MAXIMINA. 

4 

caballero  said,  accompanying  his  words  with  an  ambigu- 
ous smile  :  — 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  am  thinking,  Julita?" 

"No;  what?" 

"  That  I  am  greatly  delighted  with  this  wa}-  of  living 
with  you !  " 

"  But  I  am  not,"  replied  the  young  girl,  dryly. 

ki  Why,  what  objection  do  you  have  to  it?" 

"  I  object  to  living  in  a  state  of  mortal  sin  ;  I  wish  to 
ask  mamma's  pardon  and  to  be  married  to  you." 

"  Now  the  very  thing  that  I  enjoy  most  is  living  in 
this  extra-legal  way.  We  are  two  birds  flown  from  the 
nest  and  winging  our  flight  through  the  air.  How  jolly  it 
is  to  be  so  alone  and  so  free !  Could  we  possibly  be 
happier  because  a  dirty  and  ignorant  priest  had  jabbered 
a  few  Latin  words  before  us  ?  " 

Julita,  on  hearing  this  and  noticing  the  somewhat  mock- 
ing tone  in  which  Don  Alfonso  spoke,  felt  a  cold  chill  run 
down  her  back,  and  she  dropped  her  arms  which  she  had 
raised  to  arrange  her  hair.  She  stood  a  moment  or  two 
in  suspense,  and  then  turning  her  pale  face  toward  him, 
she  said  deliberately,  in  an  imnatural  voice  :  — 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  I  could  not  have  heard  such 
coarse  and  vile  words  come  from  your  mouth." 

"Why  do  you  call  them  vile,  child?  All  that  I  did 
was  to  give  you  my  opinion  without  taking  the  trouble  to 
consider  whether  it  was  good  or  bad,"  replied  the  caba- 
llero laughing. 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  Alfonso.  .  .  .  There  are  moments  when 
m}7  imagination  is  filled  with  ideas  so  horrible  that  if  they 
stayed  long  I  am  certain  that  I  should  go  mad  and  throw 
myself  out  of  the  window." 

As  she  said  this,  she  flung  her  hat  on  the  toilet  table 
and  came  and  sat  down  on  the  sofa,  remaining  with  her 


MAXIMINA.  335 

head  sunk  low  and  her  hands  crossed  in  meditative  atti- 
tude. Great  tears  began  to  roll  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Crying?"  asked  the  caballero,  approaching  her. 

The  girl  raised  her  eyes  gleaming  with  fury  and  looked 
at  him. 

"Crying!  yes!"  she  said  in  an  exasperated  tone. 
' '  And  why  not  ?  What  do  you  care  for  my  tears  ?  I 
wish  to  go  home  immediately!  do  you  hear?  I  wish  to 
go  now  .  .  .  this  very  instant." 

"  Calm  yourself,  Julia." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  calm  myself.  Why  am  I  here  with 
you,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  Do  me  the  favor  to  take  me 
home  again.  Though  my  mother  should  kill  me,  I  wish 
to  go  to  her  instantly,  do  you  hear?  " 

Don  Alfonso  made  no  answer ;  he  wisely  allowed  a  few 
minutes  to  pass  so  that  she  might  recover  a  little.  Then 
he  said  in  a  muffled  and  melancholy  voice  :  — 

"  Well  then,  if  you  are  already  tired  of  me  I  will  take 
you  back  to  Madrid  again.  ...  I  supposed  that  your  love 
was  a  little  more  substantial.  ...  I  made  a  mistake. 
Patience.  .  .  .  My  conscience  does  not  reproach  me  in  the 
least.  Since  we  left  Madrid  I  have  done  all  that  I  could 
to  treat  you  in  a  straightforward  manner.  Circumstances 
brought  us  here  and  have  retained  us  against  my  will.  .  .  . 
However,  we  will  start  as  soon  as  you  like.  The  truth  is, 
we  have  waited  long  enough  for  that  miserable  luggage.  .  .  . 
Now  I  am  going  to  tell  you  something,"  he  added  in  a 
broken  voice.  "  If  in  any  respect  during  these  last  days 
I  have  done  anything  to  hurt  your  feelings,  forgive  me. 
I  love  you  and  regard  you  as  my  lawful  wife,  because  you 
are  in  the  sight  of  God  and  you  will  be  very  soon  be- 
fore men  .  .  .  that  is,  if  you  accept  me  as  a  husband  and 
do  not  return." 

Julia,  likewise  moved,  gave  him  her  hand  which  he  has- 
tened to  kiss. 


336  MAXIMINA. 

They  became  reconciled. 

"  Is  it  your  wish  that  we  go  to-day? "  asked  Saavedra, 
after  a  moment,  in  an  indifferent  tone. 

"  We  will  wait  till  to-morrow.  .  .  .  Perhaps  the  lug- 
gage will  come  to-day,"  replied  the  young  woman,  anxious 
to  make  him  forget  her  severe  words. 

"  Come  on,  then,  let  us  have  a  walk  along  the  bay.  It 
is  a  lovely  afternoon.  We  will  engage  a  felucca."1 

"  Oh  yes,  yes,  Alfonso  !  I  am  dying  for  a  sail ! "  cried 
Julia,  clapping  her  hands. 

"  On  the  way  you  can  buy  the  clothing  that  you  need." 

Julia,  now  gay  as  a  lark,  once  more  went  to  the  mirror 
to  arrange  her  hair. 

"  You  can't  imagine,  Alfonso,  how  I  enjo}*  sailing  in  a 
boat.  And  if  there  is  a  little  swell,  all  the  better.  I  am 
never  seasick.  Three  years  ago,  mamma  and  I  went 
from  Santander  to  Bilbao.  ..." 

Just  as  she  said  those  words  she  uttered  a  terrible  cry, 
one  of  those  that  make  the  hair  stand  on  end  and  freeze 
the  blood  of  those  who  hear  it ;  her  comb  fell  from  her 
hands  ;  her  eyes,  fastened  on  the  mirror,  expressed  terror 
and  dismay. 

She  had  seen  in  the  mirror  the  door  of  the  room  open, 
and  her  brother  Miguel  come  in. 


•  XXVI. 

ON  reaching  Madrid,  and  learning  what  had  happened, 
Miguel's  heart  was  wounded  by  the  cruellest  dart  that 
fate  had  hurled  at  him  since  his  father's  death.  He  found 
his  step-mother  in  a  state  of  desperation  bordering  on  im- 
becility. That  proud  and  indomitable  nature  had  at  last 
1  Falua. 


MAXIMINA.  337 

been  bent.  And  as  always  happened  when  he  saw  her  in 
the  depths  and  silently  weeping,  he  felt  a  double  compas- 
sion. "Poor  mamma  !"  he  said,  folding  her  in  his  arms. 
"The  stroke  is  severe,  but  still  all  is  not  yet  lost.  The 
affair  may  yet  be  arranged,  with  God's  aid." 

"  No,  Miguel,  no  ;  my  heart  tells  me  that  it  cannot  be 
arranged.  This  man  is  a  villain.  I  did  not  heed  your 
warning,  and  God  has  punished  me." 

Maximina  was  greatly  upset  to  find  that  her  husband 
was  going  to  start  that  same  evening  for  Seville.  "  No, 
no ;  I  do  not  want  you  to  go,"  she  exclaimed,  clinging 
convulsively  to  him. 

"  Maxirnina,  this  is  not  worthy  of  you,"  replied  Miguel 
gently.  "My  sister  has  been  abducted,  and  aren't  you 
willing  for  me  to  go  in  search  of  her  ?  " 

' '  And  if  that  man  should  kill  you  ?  You  see  he  is 
capable  of  doing  anything  !  " 

"  Why  should  he  kill  me?  I  am  going  to  Seville  merely 
to  search  for  my  sister.  As  I  imagine  that  he  will  not 
refuse  to  give  her  up  to  me,  I  shall  be  back  with  her  by 
day  after  to-morrow.  The  rest  will  be  arranged  after- 
ward." 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  word  that  you  are  going  for  no 
other  purpose  ?  That  you  will  not  provoke  a  quarrel  with 
him?" 

"  I  will." 

The  brigadier's  son  did  not  mean  what  he  said.  Who 
will  blame  him  for  that? 

When  the  moment  for  his  departure  came,  his  wife, 
breaking  into  tears,  obliged  him  once  more  to  repeat  his 
oath.  Then  holding  him  by  the  hands,  she  said  to  him  :  — 

"  Promise  me  also  that  you  will  be  kind  to  Julia ;  that 
you  will  not  say  a  harsh  word  to  her." 

••  That  1  also  agree  to." 


338  MAXUIINA. 

With  these  two  promises  Maximina  allowed  him  to  go. 
Then  she  went  to  the  window,  and  lifting  her  baby  in  her 
arms,  showed  him  to  his  father,  as  though  still  further  to 
compel  him  not  to  expose  his  life. 

On  reaching  Seville,  Miguel  found  that  his  sister  and 
Don  Alfonso  had  not  been  there.  He  called  on  Saavedra's 
mother,  and  was  painfully  surprised  to  learn  that  this  lady 
had  known  nothing  of  the  deed  done  by  her  son,  nor  even 
that  he  had  been  paying  attentions  to  Julia.  All  Miguel's 
doubts  vanished.  Saavedra  had  eloped  with  his  sister  to 
make  her  his  .  .  .  His  mind  refused  even  to  express  the 
word. 

The  first  thing  that  he  considered  after  he  had  grown 
a  little  calmer  was  to  find  where  he  had  taken  her,  since 
they  were  not  in  Seville.  It  occurred  to  him  that  they 
might  have  gone  to  Cadiz,  and  taken  a  steamer  from 
there.  But  after  making  some  inquiries  he  found  that 
this  hypothesis  was  not  supported.  Then  he  determined 
to  return,  and  ask  at  all  the  stations  of  the  road  if  pos- 
sibly any  one  there  remembered  seeing  that  couple,  a  very 
accurate  description  of  whom  he  was  able  to  give.  He 
found  nothing  about  them  until  he  reached  the  station  of 
Algodor. 

There  a  porter  remembered  having  taken  from  one  car 
to  another  such  a  caballero  with  a  young  lady  such  as 
Miguel  described.  One  sure  thing  —  the  caballero  had 
given  him  the  fabulous  fee  of  a  duro,  and  this  in  fact  con- 
tributed no  little  to  his  having  remembered. 

As  the  railway  to  Andalucia  separates  at  this  station 
from  that  of  Estramadura  and  Portugal,  Miguel  felt  a 
strong  suspicion,  almost  amounting  to  certainty,  that  the\" 
had  gone  in  this  latter  direction,  and  he  took  a  ticket  for 
Lisbon.  On  reaching  there  he  proceeded  to  ask  at  the 
principal  hotels  after  the  young  Spanish  couple,  taking  it 


MAXIMINA.  339 

for  granted  that,  if  they  were  there,  they  would  be  settled 
at  one  of  them.  In  fact,  he  came  upon  their  track  after 
he  had  made  three  or  four  inquiries. 

"  Are  they  at  home,  or  have  they  gone  out?  " 

"  I  have  not  seen  them  go  out,"  replied  the  porter  in 
Portuguese.  "  Does  your  lordship  wish  me  to  announce 
you?" 

"  There  is  no  need.  I  am  her  brother.  What  number 
is  the  room  !  " 

"  Number  16,  second  floor." 

With  terrible  emotion,  such  as  can  be  imagined,  the 
brigadier's  son  went  into  the  hotel,  and  passed  through 
the  corridors  until  he  reached  the  number  indicated.  He 
paused  at  the  door  to  calm  his  heart,  which  was  throbbing 
violently :  he  listened,  and  could  distinguish  his  sister's 
voice.  With  trembling  hand  he  lifted  the  latch  and  entered. 

Julia,  on  seeing  him  in  the  mirror,  gave  that  tremendous 
shriek  of  which  we  have  spoken  ;  then  she  turned  and  threw 
herself  at  his  feet.  Miguel  gently  lifted  her,  and  took  her 
to  the  sofa.  Then  with  calmness  he  closed  the  door  and 
advanced  toward  Don  Alfonso,  who  was  sitting  in  the 
easy-chair,  with  his  legs  crossed,  and  smoking  a  cigar  with 
affected  boldness,  though  he  was  extremely  pale. 

"I  have  come  at  last,"  said  Miguel,  looking  straight 
into  his  eyes. 

"I  see  you  have,"  replied  Don  Alfonso,  puffing  out  a 
cloud  of  smoke. 

"  You  will  understand  that.  ..." 

"  You  want  to  ask  me  to  explain  my  conduct?" 

"  No  ;  I  do  not  care  to  qualify  your  conduct  now.  The 
only  thing  that  interests  me  at  present  is  to  save  my  sister's 
honor.  I  come  to  demand  that  you  marry  her  immediately 
or  fight  with  me." 

A  short  pause  ensued.     Don  Alfonso  replied  coolly :  — 


340  MAXIMINA. 

"  I  will  neither  marry  your  sister,  nor  will  I  fight  with 
you." 

"  We  shall  see,"  said  Miguel,  smiling  sarcastically. 

"  There  will  be  no  question  about  it." 

"  We  will  speak  about  the  second  afterward.  As  to  the 
first:  When  I  heard  of  my  sister's  abduction,  I  sus- 
pected that  you  had  not  undertaken  it  for  any  decent  mo- 
tive. Still  I  could  not  persuade  myself  that  you  would 
carry  out  your  treachery  to  the  point  of  being  willing  to 
make  a  lady  who  is  of  your  own  blood  your  mistress." 

Julia  uttered  a  groan.  Miguel  looked  at  her  with  com- 
passionate eyes,  and  said  :  — 

"Forgive  me,  Julia;  I  had  forgotten  that  you  were 
here." 

"In  declining  to  marry  your  sister,"  replied  Don  Al- 
fonso, "  I  am  not  influenced  by  anything  that  could  be 
construed  in  the  least  to  her  discredit.  I  grant  that  she 
is  an  excellent  girl.  The  onry  thing  is,  that  it  never 
entered  into  my  calculations  to  marry  either  her  or  any 
one  else.  This  decision,  which  I  made  long  ago,  neither 
yon  nor  any  one  else  can  alter." 

"  Is  this  your  ultimatum  in  regard  to  the  first  part  of 
my  question  ?  " 

"It  is." 

"Very  good;  now  we  come  to  the  second.  I  suppose 
that  you  will  not  refuse  to  give  me  reparation  by  means 
of  arms.  ..." 

"  I  do  refuse.  I  have  injured  you  deeply  ;  it  would  be 
a  fine  thing  if  I  killed  3~ou  besides.  .  .  .  And  to  allow 
you  to  kill  me  —  frankly.  I  have  just  as  little  notion." 

"  There  is  one  infallible  means  of  making  you  fight : 
I  will  slap* your  face  in  public." 

"  I  don't  doubt  that  you  would  do  so.  I  regard  you 
as  a  man  of  courage  ;  you  would  do  it  even  though  you 


MAXIMTNA.  341 

thereby  signed  your  own  death-warrant.  Whatever  weap- 
ons we  should  choose,  you  cannot  be  ignorant  that  I  have 
ninety  chances  to  ten  of  killing  or  wounding  you.  .  .  ." 

Miguel  made  a  scornful  gesture. 

' '  T  know  that  this  does  not  terrify  you  ;  but  let  us  rea- 
son about  it :  What  advantage  would  it  give  you  to  die  ? 
Would  it  wipe  out  your  sister's  dishonor  ?  It  would  not 
only  not  wipe  it  out,  but  it  would  deprive  her  of  the  only 
support  that  she  has  in  the  world.  Then  let  us  suppose 
—  and  it  is  much  to  suppose — that  you  killed  me.  Your 
sole  advantage  would  be  in  publishing  the  disgrace  which 
now  with  a  little  caution  can  remain  unknown." 

Don  Alfonso  and  Miguel  both  spoke  in  low  tones,  so 
as  not  to  be  heard  from  the  outside  ;  but  the  gestures  and 
accent  of  each,  and  especially  of  the  latter,  were  so  ener- 
getic and  excited,  that  they  very  well  took  the  place  of 
loud  words.  Julia  sat  on  the  sofa,  motionless,  and  with 
her  head  bent  low. 

"  Do  you  imagine  that  I  am  going  to  accept  this  logic 
with  which  3-011  wish  to  avoid  the  unpleasantness  of  expos- 
ing your  life  ?  Have  no  such  thought,  even  though  there 
were  one  probability  against  a  thousand  of  killing  me,  it 
would  be  a  pleasure  for  me  to  face  you  with  sword  or 
pistol.  How  far  the  set  resolution  that  I  entertain  of 
dying  or  of  killing  you  goes  to  put  us  on  an  equality,  you 
know  perfectly  well.  Therefore  'drop  these  arguments 
worthy  only  of  a  coward,  and  be  kind  enough  to  expect 
to  spend  as  painful  hours  as  those  which  you  have  taken 
so  much  pains  to  make  us  suffer." 

"  I  see  that  you  mean  to  insult  me.  Do  so  with  impu- 
nity ;  I  grant  3*011  the  privilege.  .  .  .  But  I  warn  you  not 
to  let  an  ill-sounding  word  pass  your  lips  in  public." 

"  In  private  and  in  public  I  am  resolved  to  do  the 
same  !  You  wretch !  "  exclaimed  Miguel,  beside  himself. 


342  MAXIMINA. 

"  Everywhere  I  shall  declare  that  you  are'  a  knave,  a  cow- 
ardly assassin,  who  fights  duels  only  with  those  unable  to 
defend  themselves.  In  order  that  you  may  see  how  much 
fear  I  have  of  you,  take  this." 

Saying  these  words,  he  leaped  like  a  lion  upon  Saave- 
dra,  who  had  risen  to  his  feet,  expecting  some  such  move. 
Before  he  could  raise  his  hand,  the  Andalusian  seized  him 
by  the  arms  and  brutally  hurled  him  back  into  the  middle 
of  the  room,  so  that  he  reeled.  Miguel  was  just  on  the 
point  of  springing  at  him  again  ;  but  at  that  instant  he 
found  himself  held  by  more  gentle  arms  —  those  of  his  sis- 
ter, who,  with  her  face  distorted,  her  eyes  flashing,  her 
voice  choking  with  sobs,  said  :  — 

"No,  Miguel,  no;  you  cannot  measure  yourself  with 
this  man.  After  what  I  have  just  heard  I  should  prefer 
a  thousand  times  to  die,  or  to  spend  my  whole  life  in  dis- 
grace, rather  than  to  marry  such  a  monster." 

"  Let  go  of  me  !  Let  go  !  "  cried  Miguel,  trying  to  free 
himself  from  her  arms. 

"  No,  my  brother ;  kill  me,  put  me  into  a  convent,  but 
don't  expose  your  own  life.  .  .  .  Remember  Maximiua 
and  your  little  son." 

Don  Alfonso  at  the  same  time  stretched  out  his  hand, 
and  said  calmly  :  — 

"  Before  beginning  a  disgusting  scene,  unworthy  of  two 
gentlemen,  such  as  we  are.  .  .  ." 

"Of  a  gentleman  like  this!  you  are  no  gentleman," 
exclaimed  Julia,  giving  him  a  furious  look  and  clinging  to 
her  brother. 

"Before  beginning  a  scene  like  this,"  the  Andalusian 
went  on  to  say,  making  a  contemptuous  gesture  at  the  in- 
terruption, "  listen  to  one  word,  Miguel.  I  have  said  that 
I  am  resolved  not  to  fight,  because  /  do  not  wish  to  run  the 
risk  of  killing  you,  nor  of  dying.  From  here  I  am  going 


MAXIMINA.  343 

directly  to  Paris,  and  probably  you  will  never  see  me  again 
in  this  world.  If  you  insist  on  detaining  me,  I  will  meet 
force  with  force ;  if  you  insult  me,  as  I  am  in  a  strange 
country  where  no  one  knows  me,  it  will  be  of  no  great 
consequence  to  me.  And  if  you  should  happen  to  tell  the 
story  in  Madrid,  besides  publishing  your  own  dishonor, 
no  one  will  believe  you ;  because  it  is  not  credible  that  a 
man  who  has  fought  fourteen  duels,  five  of  them  to  the 
death,  would  through  fear  avoid  a  challenge  from  a  man 
who  scarcely  knows  how  to  hold  a  weapon.  So  then 
understand  that  my  resolution  is  irrevocable." 

"Well,  then,  I  will  kill  you  like  a  dog,"  said  Miguel, 
whipping  out  a  revolver  from  his  pocket. 

"If  you  kill  me  (which  I  shall  take  good  care  that 
you  do  not  do) ,"  retorted  Saavedra,  drawing  another  re- 
volver, "you  would  go  from  here  straight  to  jail,  and 
your  sister  would  remain  forsaken." 

Miguel  stood  for  a  moment  in  doubt ;  then  he  shrugged 
his  shoulders  with  a  gesture  of  sovereign  contempt,  and 
said,  as  he  put  back  the  pistol :  — 

"  You  are  right.  The  truth  is,  that  as  a  knave  you  are 
quite  up  to  the  standard  !  Come  on,  Julia,  come  !  I  am 
ashamed  to  spend  any  more  time  wasting  words  with  this 
vile  wretch." 

And  taking  his  sister  around  the  waist,  he  drew  her 
from  the  room. 

Don  Alfonso  watched  them  as  they  disappeared  :  he 
listened  until  the  sound  of  their  steps  was  lost ;  he  also 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  put  back  his  revolver,  and,  while 
he  arranged  his  necktie  before  the  glass,  previous  to  going 
out,  he  muttered  with  a  diabolical  smile  :  — 

"  I  did  not  come  out  of  it  quite  as  well  as  I  expected, 
. .  .  .  but  after  all,  this  adventure  has  not  been  so  bad !  " 


344  MAXIMINA. 


XXVII. 

As  soon  as  Miguel  and  his  sister  reached  the  capital, 
they  learned  of  an  event  which  grieved  them  intensely. 
Let  us  relate  it  from  the  beginning. 

On  account  of  the  affectionate  preference  which  Julia 
had  shown  on  the  evening  of  the  party,  our  heroic  friend 
Utrilla  had  recovered  sufficient  spirits  to  last  at  least  half 
a  year. 

His  sweet  enemy  made  him  drain  the  cup  of  triumph  at 
one  draught.  Intoxicated  with  love  and  pride,  it  took 
two  consecutive  months  of  continual  rebuffs,  before  this 
glorious  young  fellow  came  clearly  to  understand  that  her 
humor  had  changed  a  little.  It  is  evident  that  such  a 
change  was  not  sufficient  to  affect  him  very  seriousl}", 
since  he  was  very  certain,  now  more  than  ever,  of  the 
irresistible  fascination  which  he  exercised  over  the  beauty. 
That  closing  of  the  window  when  he  passed  along  the 
street,  that  turning  of  the  eyes  in  the  opposite  direction, 
and  not  replying  to  his  letters,  were  for  the  lad  only 
"open  strategies"  by  which  the  girl  was  trying  to  make 
him  fall  in  love  with  her,  and  keep  him  more  than  ever 
her  slave. 

As  a  proof  of  this,  let  us  say  that  once,  happening  to 
be  at  the  theatre,  he  took  a  place  opposite  to  where  she 
was,  and  not  taking  his  eyes  from  her  through  a  whole 
entr'acte,  a  friend,  touching  him  on  the  shoulder,  said :  — 

"  Hold,  comrade!  evidently  that  little  brunette  pleases 
you." 

"  That's  an  old  story,"  replied  the  ex-cadet,  dryly  and 

with  dignity. 

&      j  , 

' '  And  the  girl ;  how  about  her  ?  " 


MAXIMINA.  345 

"  Poor  girl !  "  he  exclaimed,  shaking  his  head,  and  smil- 
ing compassionately. 

The  friend  observed,  however,  that  during  the  whole 
evening  the  young  girl  did  not  once  turn  her  eyes  in  that 
direction,  though  she  often  looked  toward  a  lower  prosce- 
nium box,  where  there  were  a  number  of  young  aristocrats. 

Veiy  far,  therefore,  from  being  discouraged,  Utrilla  was 
almost  happ3r.  He  would  have  been  entirely  so  if,  instead 
of  having  to  keep  account  of  candles  put  out,  he  had  been 
occupied  in  some  more  congenial  business,  and  had  had 
the  good  fortune  to  have  killed,  or  at  least  dangerously 
wounded,  some  one  in  a  duel.  But  up  to  the  present  time, 
unfortunately,  no  favorable  opportunity  had  presented 
itself.  Still,  he  was  waiting  anxiously  for  one,  for,  in  truth, 
his  conscience  troubled  him  for  being  now  eighteen  years 
old,  and  "  never  having  once  been  into  the  field." 

Of  late  he  had  begun  to  take  lessons  in  the  use  of  the 
foils  at  a  fencing-school,  and  in  presence  of  the  professor 
and  his  companions  he  had  made  allusion  to  some  deadly 
project  which  he  had  conceived,  and  which,  in  our  opinion 
could  not  have  been  anything  else  than  the  riddance  of  his 
rival  Don  Alfonso. 

Months  passed,  and  at  regular  hours,  with  a  constancy 
worthy  of  a  more  fortunate  result,  Utrilla  wore  out  the 
heels  of  his  boots  along  the  sidewalks  of  the  Calle  Mayor. 

Occasionally  Julita  would  deign  to  greet  him  with  a 
wave  of  the  hand,  in  answer  to  the  energetic  way  in  which 
her  suitor  took  off  his  hat  to  her  from  the  street.  Still,  the 
greater  number  of  times  it  happened  that  when  the  briga- 
dier's daughter  caught  sight  of  him  looming  around  the 
corner,  she  would  hastily  close  the  balcony,  and  this 
our  young  man  took  as  a  sign  of  exquisite  modesty  and 
timidity  at  his  penetrating  glances.  The  most  that  he 
felt  called  upon  to  say  in  complaint  was :  — 


346  MAXIMINA. 

"  This  Julita  —  when  will  she  cease  being  a  mere  child  !  " 

The  unshaken  faith  which  he  had  in  the  fascinating  vir- 
tue of  his  smile  and  his  genteel  appearance  was  sufficient 
to  sustain  him  in  this  illusion  ;  but  it  must  be  confessed 
that  some  help  was  given  toward  it  by  the  fact  that  Julita 
herself,  though  very  mercifully,  made  use  of  him  on  occa- 
sion, to  wake  Saavedra's  jealous}7,  when  she  was  vexed 
with  him.  And  sometimes  at  the  theatre  she  would  talk 
with  him  in  the  presence  of  the  cabattero  himself. 

This  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  the  bomb  ex- 
ploded ;  that  is,  when  Julita  eloped  that  evening  witli  her 
cousin.  The  first  news  of  this  that  Utrilla  received  was 
communicated  to  him  by  la  brigadiera's  door-maid,  with 
whom  he  sustained  cordial  relations,  strengthened  from 
time  to  time  by  a  chance  peseta.  As  was  to  be  expected, 
the  ex-cadet  resolutely  refused  to  believe  it.  But  when  he 
found  the  evidence  overwhelming,  he  stood  like  a  statue  — 
not  a  Greek  one,  however ;  his  nostrils  dropped,  and  his 
dull,  my  optic  eyes  expressed  absolutely  nothing  except 
imbecility  :  his  Adam's  apple  stood  out  in  a  manner  truly 
monstrous. 

After  the  first  shock  was  past,  Utrilla  considered  what 
was  befitting  for  him  to  do  in  this  most  extraordinaiy 
juncture.  He  thought  of  starting  after  the  fugitives, 
overtaking  them,  and  killing  the  seducer  with  one  stab ; 
but  above  and  beyond  the  great  difficulty  of  overtaking 
them,  in  what  character  should  he  present  himself  before 
them,  being  neither  brother  nor  husband  of  the  stolen 
damsel.  This  project  having  been  rejected,  it  came  to 
him  clear  as  the  day  that  the  only  thing  left  worthy  of 
such  a  misfortune  was  suicide.  After  racking  his  brains 
for  a  whole  day  he  found  no  other  adequate  solution. 

Jacobo  Utrilla,  with  that  marvellous  perspicacity  with 
which  he  was  endowed  in  these  delicate  matters  pertain- 


MAXIMINA.  847 

ing  to  honor,  made  up  his  mind  that  the  world  would 
never  forgive  him  unless  he  put  an  end  to  his  existence 
on  this  occasion.  And  as  a  man  who  valued  his  dignity 
above  all  things,  he  resolved  to  sacrifice  on  this  altar  his 
own  life,  so  sweet  to  all  created  things. 

Melancholy  night  that  which  preceded  this  tragic  event ! 
Utrilla  was  perfectly  well  aware  of  what  he  had  to  do  in 
such  a  situation  as  this  ;  without  any  trouble  at  all,  he 
could  have  written  a  Handbook  of  Suicide.  Thus  he 
spent  the  time  till  dawn  in  writing  letters  and  drinking 
black  coffee. 

One  of  them  was  to  his  father,  asking  his  pardon,  but, 
at  the  same  time,  making  him  to  see  by  weighty  reasons 
that  if  he  had  acted  in  any  other  way,  he  would  have  dis- 
honored the  noble  name  that  he  bore ;  another,  to  Julia, 
very  dignified,  very  courteous,  very  generous ;  the  only 
favor  that  he  asked  was  that  sometimes  she  should  place 
a  flower  on  his  tomb ;  the  last  was,  in  fact,  to  the  judge 
of  the  police,  giving  him  to  understand  "  that  no  one  was 
to  blame  for  his  death,"  etc. 

Having  scrupulously  fulfilled  those  lofty  duties,  he 
washed  his  face  and  hands,  and  dressed  with  all  care, 
and  asked  for  chocolate.  Dona  Adelaida,  who  always 
arose  at  peep  of  day,  gave  it  to  him,  though  she  was  not 
a  little  surprised  to  see  him  so  early  in  the  morning 
dressed  in  such  elegant  style. 

' '  Jacobito,  why  have  you  dressed  all  in  black  ?  Are 
you  going  to  a  funeral?  " 

"  Yes,  seiiora.  ...  To  the  funeral  of  a  friend  of 
yours,"  he  replied  with  admirable  self-control. 

••Who  is  it?"      - 

"You  will  know  in  good  time." 

While  he  took  his  chocolate,  he  was  genial  and  jolly,  as 
never  before,  making  the  good  seiiora  roar  with  his  anec- 


348  MAXIMINA. 

dotes.  Utrilla  was  not  naturally  facetious,  nor  was  he 
apt  to  be  good-natured  when  he  got  up  early  ;  but  he  felt 
that,  in  these  exceptional  circumstances,  it  was  very 
necessary  to  vary  his  habits  ;  for  he  was  a  practical  man, 
and  had  no  rival  as  a  connoisseur  in  such  matters. 

"  Come,  now,  I  am  going  from  here  to  the  Campo 
Santo,"  said  he,  putting  on  his  hat  and  taking  his  cane. 

"  But  is  the  service  in  the  cemetery,  Jacobito?" 

"No;  there  is  a  mass  in  the  chapel.  .  .  .  You  would 
not  like  me  to  remain  there,  would  you?" 

"Where?" 

"  In  the  cemetery." 

"  Ave  Maria !  What  jokes  you  do  make,  Jacobito  !  " 

He  gave  a  laugh  that  partook  of  an  hysterical  char- 
acter. He  took  his  gloves  from  his  pocket ;  but  before 
putting  them  on,  he  drew  off  a  finger  ring  and  handed  it 
to  the  housekeeper,  saying  :  — 

"  This  ring  you  will  please  send  to  Don  Miguel  Rivera's 
house,  and  ask  them  to  give  it  to  him  when  he  returns." 

"  Is  it  a  present?" 

"  Yes  ;  in  return  for  the  many  favors  that  he  has  done 
for  me." 

Immediately  this  great-souled  and  punctilious  young 
man  sallied  forth  from  the  house  with  firm  step,  bent 
upon  accomplishing  his  duty.  Neither  the  beauty  of  the 
day,  which  was  more  than  usually  bright  and  glorious,  nor 
the  sight  of  the  pleasures  to  which  life  invited  him,  nor 
the  tender  recollection  of  his  father,  caused  him  to  pause 
in  his  serene  and  majestic  march.  As  he  passed  near  the 
Cibeles  fountain,  a  hand-organ  was  playing  a  waltz-polka 
which  reminded  him  of  a  certain  experience  that  he  had 
had  in  the  saloon  of  Capellanes.  He  felt  a  little  melan- 
choly ;  but  his  heroic  soul  immediately  recovered  from 
this  impulse  of  weakness. 


MAXIMINA.  349 

He  reached  the  Retiro :  he  was  alone.  He  walked 
along  with  deliberate  step  in  search  of  a  hidden  and  mys- 
terious spot.  When  he  had  found  such,  he  sat  down  on  a 
stone  bench,  took  off  his  hat,  and  laid  it  carefully  by  his 
side ;  then  he  opened  his  frock  coat  and  threw  one  leg 
over  the  other,  taking  care  to  pull  down  his  trousers  so  as 
not  to  expose  his  stocking.  Then  thrusting  one  hand 
into  his  pocket  and  assuring  himself  that  his  letters  were 
in  their  place,  he  drew  out  a  small  nickel-plated  revolver. 

At  that  moment  a  powerful  temptation  assailed  the 
young  lad's  constant  soul.  It  occurred  to  him  that  per- 
haps there  was  no  reason  for  him  to  commit  suicide  ;  that 
it  would  be  better  to  let  things  run  their  course  ;  that  the 
world  had  many  revolutions  to  make,  and  he  was  too 
young  to  deprive  himself  of  existence.  If  Julita  had  run 
away,  that  was  her  own  affair :  to  kill  himself  was  a  seri- 
ous, a  very  serious  matter ! 

Still  his  bravery,  which  had  never  yet  played  him 
false,  was  able  to  conquer  this  horrible  temptation. 
"  No,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  cannot  live  honorably  any 
longer.  All  those  who  were  acquainted  with  these  rela- 
tions of  mine  would  have  the  right  to  laugh  at  me.  And 
Jacobo  was  not  born  that  any  one  should  laugh  at  him  !  " 

He  leaned  back,  placed  his  left  elbow  on  the  back  of 
the  bench,  with  his  head  poetically  resting  on  his  hand. 
With  his  right  hand  he  aimed  his  revolver  at  his  temple 
and  fired. 

Either  because  his  hand  trembled  a  little  (a  suspicion 
which  would  not  amount  to  anything  if  it  wore  not  regard- 
ing this  invincible  youth  of  indomitable  courage) ,  or  be- 
cause the  pistol  did  not  shoot  quite  accurately,  at  all 
events  Utrilla  fell,  badly  wounded,  but  not  killed.  He 
was  taken  to  the  hospital,1  and  thence  home.  His  con- 
dition was  very  serious. 

1  Casa  de  socorro. 


350  MAXIMINA. 

When  Miguel  arrived  from  Lisbon  three  days  after  this 
tragic  event,  he  immediately  went  to  see  him.  He  was 
deeply  and  painfully  impressed.  The  bullet  had  cut  the 
optic  nerve,  and  the  unhappy  boy  was  hopelessly  blind. 
The  consultation  of  doctors  had  not  given  a  favorable 
verdict.  As  the  ball  was  still  in  the  head,  very  near  the 
brain,  they  judged  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  live 
very  long.  Any  movement  might  bring  with  it  instant 
death. 

But  the  strange  and  terrible  part  of  the  affair  was,  that 
the  hapless  lad,  already  blind,  lying  in  his  bed  suffering 
tremendous  and  unceasing  anguish,  did  not  want  to  die. 
With  lamentable  cries,  which  tore  the  heart  and  brought 
tears  from  all  who  were  present,  he  begged  his  father 
and  brothers  to  make  him  live  —  to  live  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, even  though  he  should  be  blind. 

It  was  impossible.  In  the  course  of  twelve  days  that 
intrepid  and  unfortunate  young  man  had  passed  away. 
Miguel  was  with  him  till  the  very  last. 


XXVIII. 

BY  the  advice  of  all,  it  was  determined  that  la  briga- 
diera  and  her  daughter  should  leave  Madrid  and  go  to  live 
at  the  Astillero  of  Santander.  It  was  the  only  place,  as 
they  already  had  a  house  rented,  that  offered  them  imme- 
diately a  secret  refuge  where  to  hide  their  shame. 

After  they  had  taken  their  departure,  Miguel  remained 
more  calm.  Nevertheless,  a  deep  sadness  had  taken  pos- 
session of  his  heart,  which  neither  his  wife's  love  nor  the 
infantile  graces  of  his  baby  were  sufficient  to  dissipate. 
And  the  reason  was  that,  beyond  the  grief  caused  by  his 
sister's  disgrace,  he  lived  tormented  by  the  thought  of  his 


MAXIM1NA.  351 

impending  ruin.  He  could  not  hide  the  fact  that  Egui- 
buru  was  crouching  like  a  tiger,  ready  to  leap  upon  him 
and  tear  him  to  pieces. 

He  saw  Mendoza  very  rarely ;  he  noticed  that  he 
avoided  meeting  him,  and  when  this  was  unavoidable, 
their  conversation  was  short  and  embarrassed  on  both 
sides. 

One  day  he  went  home  at  nightfall,  pale  enough. 
Maximina,  who,  as  always,  came  to  meet  him,  with  the 
baby  in  her  arms,  did  not  notice  it  because  it  was  so 
dark.  He  kissed  his  child  affectionately  again  and  again, 
and  then  went  into  his  study.  His  wife  stood  at  the  door, 
motionless,  gazing  sadly  at  him. 

"  A  light,"  said  he,  in  imperious  tones. 

Maximina  ran  to  the  dining-room,  left  the  baby  in 
Juana's  hands,  and  she  herself  brought  the  lighted  can- 
dles. Miguel  paid  no  attention  to  her,  and  began  to  write. 
When  after  a  few  moments  he  lifted  his  head,  he  saw  her 
leaning  against  the  mantel-piece,  looking  at  him,  her  eyes 
brimming  with  tears. 

' '  Why  are  you  here  ?    What  is  the  matter  ?  " 

The  little  wife  slowly  approached  him,  and  laying  one 
hand  on  his  shoulder,  said,  with  a  melancholy  attempt  at 
a  smile  :  — 

"  Have  I  done  anything  wrong,  Miguel?" 

"Why  so?" 

"Always  when  you  come  in  you  give  me  a  kiss,  but 
to-day  you  don't  pay  any  attention  at  all  to  me !  .  .  . 
You  have  kissed  the  baby  more  than  ..." 

Miguel  leaped  to  his  feet  and  strained  his  wife  to  his 
heart. 

"  No,  my  Maximina  ;  if  I  kissed  the  boy,  it  was  solely 
because  I  came  in  thinking  about  him  and  anxious  about 
his  fate." 


352  MAXIMINA. 

Then,  without  beiiig  able  to  speak  another  word,  he 
threw  himself  into  a  chair  and  sobbed. 

Maximum  stood  as  though  she  had  seen  the  house  fall 
down  before  her  eyes.  When  the  first  instant  of  amaze- 
ment was  past,  she  ran  to  him  and  kissed  him. 

"Miguel,  Miguel,  light  of  my  life,  what  is  the  matter?" 

*'  Misfortune  hangs  over  us,  Maximina,"  he  replied, 
with  his  face  in  his  hands.  "  I  have  stupidly  ruined  you 
—  you  and  my  son  !  " 

"  Don't  cry,  Miguel,  don't  cry  !  "  exclaimed  the  little 
wife,  pressing  her  lips  to  her  husband's  face.  "I  had 
nothing  ;  how  could  you  ruin  me?" 

When  he  had  grown  a  little  calmer  he  explained  to  her 
what  had  taken  place.  Eguiburu  had  summoned  him  for 
the  following  da}-,  to  recognize  his  endorsements  ;  and  he 
expected  him  immediately  to  enforce  his  legal  claim. 

"  Do  you  remember  that  day  when,  after  I  had  guar- 
anteed the  thirty  thousand  duros  for  the  paper,  so  that  it 
might  go  on,  I  asked  your  opinion?  You  did  not  dare  to 
tell  me  that  I  had  not  done  well,  and  you  gave  me  an 
evasive  answer.  How  wise  you  were  ! " 

"  No,  Miguel,  no ;  you  are  mistaken,"  she  answered, 
trying  to  spare  her  husband  the  mortification  of  having 
acted  with  less  sense  than  a  woman.  ' '  What  did  I  know 
about  such  things  ?  If  you  did  wrong,  I  should  have  done 
much  worse.  .  .  .  But,  after  all,  what  has  happened  is 
not  worth  your  being  so  troubled.  We  haven't  any  money 
left:  well,  and  what  of  that?  We  will  work  for  our  liv- 
ing, as  so  many  others  do.  -I  am  used  to  it ;  I  am  not  a 
senorrta  ;  I  can  live  very  economically,  and  not  suffer  any. 
You  shall  see  how  little  I  will  spend  !  And  our  darling, 
when  he  gets  old  enough,  will  work  too,  and  become  a 
useful  man  —  see  if  that  isn't  so !  Perhaps  if  he  knew 
that  he  would  not  be  obliged  to  work,  he  would  be  dissi- 


MAXIMINA.  353 

pated,  like  so  many  other  rich  young  men.  And  above 
all,  he,  and  I  too,  will  care  for  nothing  else  than  to  have 
his  papa  happy,  with  or  without  money." 

Oh,  how  sweet  sounded  those  words  in  the  troubled 
Miguel's  ears ! 

"  You  are  my  good  angel,  Maximina!  "  he  exclaimed, 
kissing  her  hands.  "I  don't  know  what  magic  your 
words  have  to  sweeten  my  sorrows  instantaneously,  to 
soothe  me  and  calm  me  as  though  I  had  taken  an  aromatic 
bath.  .  .  .  Where  did  you  learn  this  lovely  eloquence, 
my  life,"  he  added,  seating  her  on  his  knee.  "  You  need 
not  tell  me  !  It  all  comes  from  here  !  " 

And  he  kissed  her  just  above  her  heart. 

The  husband  and  wife  conversed  a  long  time,  calm, 
cheerful,  drinking  in  with  mouth  and  e3-es  the  divine  nec- 
tar of  conjugal  love.  Extraordinary  thing  !  In  spite  of 
being  on  the  eve  of  a  great  calamity,  Miguel  could  not 
remember  having  spent  a  happier  hour  in  his  life.  And 
though  the  events  that  took  place  within  a  few  days 
sobered  him,  yet,  thanks  to  this  cheering  balsam,  they 
could  not  wholly  dishearten  him. 

Eguiburu  at  last  sprang  down  upon  his  prey.  The 
legal  claim  was  sustained.  Miguel's  two  houses  in  the 
Calle  del  Arenal  and  on  the  Cuesta  de  Santa  Domingo 
were  sold  by  auction  for  forty-eight  thousand  duros.  If 
the  sale  had  not  been  forced,  there  is  no  doubt  that  he 
would  have  received  much  more  for  them.  Purchasers 
naturally  took  advantage  of  the  occasion. 

The  total  amount  of  our  hero's  debt,  with  interest  and 
expenses,  reached  fifty  thousand  duros.  Consequently 
there  remained  a  trifle  to  make  up.  Miguel  sold  a  part  of 
his  furniture  and  some  of  his  jewels  so  as  to  clear  himself 
entirely.  This  having  been  done,  he  sought  for  a  cheap 
tenement  at  the  extreme  outskirts  of  Madrid.  He  found 


354  MAXIMINA. 

in  the  Chamber!  a  rather  pretty  third-story  apartment  in 
a  house  recently  built,  at  the  moderate  rent  of  twelve 
duros  a  month.  He  immediately  moved  there,  and  set- 
tled down  with  some  degree  of  comfort  with  the  rest  of 
his  furniture.  The  house  was  small ;  but  through  Max- 
imina's  endeavors,  it  was  soon  converted  into  a  quite 
pleasant  residence.  The  largest  room  was  reserved  for 
Miguel,  since,  as  they  had  no  expectation  of  society  calls, 
they  had  no  need  of  a  parlor. 

Of  the  servants  they  kept  only  Juana,  who  offered  to 
act  as  cook.  The  other  girls,  on  learning  that  they  were 
to  be  dismissed,  began  to  weep  passionately ;  Placida 
above  all  was  inconsolable. 

"  Senorita,  for  Heaven's  sake,  take  me  with  you ! 
With  you  I  would  go  anywhere  and  eat  potatoes,  and  not 
ask  any  pay." 

Maximina  was  touched,  and  consoled  her  by  saying  that 
the}'  were  not  going  to  leave  Madrid,  and  that  they  could 
easily  see  each  other. 

The  marvellous  baby,  whose  rapid  progress  of  late  had 
reached  the  truly  incredible  point  of  raising  his  hands  to 
heaven  whenever  he  heard  her  sing  the  song  — 

Santa  Maria,  qu€  mala  estd  mi  tia! 

was  the  object  of  many  tender  embraces  on  the  part  of 
the  domestics,  who  between  them  squeezed  him  almost  to 
death. 

When  the}'  were  fairly  settled,  Miguel  naturally  set 
himself  about  finding  some  occupation,  so  as  to  earn 
enough  for  living,  though  in  a  very  modest  manner. 
Politics  were  detestable  to  him  ;  the  same  was  true  of 
journalism,  although  it  was  the  only  profession  to  which 
he  was  accustomed.  He  knew  that  there  were  going  to 
be  a  few  competitive  offices  vacant  in  the  Council  of  State, 


MAXIMINA.  355 

and  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  try  for  one  of 
them.  In  his  love  for  his  wife  and  baby,  and  in  his  sense 
of  duty  which  had  never  entirely  abandoned  him,  and 
which,  amid  his  misfortunes,  now  arose  in  full  strength 
in  his  mind,  he  found  the  stimulus  and  power  not  only  to 
devote  himself  zealously  to  studies  that  were  distasteful 
to  him,  but  also  to  conquer  his  pride. 

A  young  man  who  had  shone  in  Madrid  society,  who 
had  been  the  editor-in-chief  of  a  newspaper  and  within  a 
hair's  breath  of  being  deputy,  could  not  help  feeling  some 
mortification  in  passing  through  a  public  examination  for 
a  place  worth  only  twelve  or  fourteen  thousand  reals.  He 
devoted  himself  ardently  to  the  study  of  administrative 
law  with  such  zeal  that  he  hardly  went  out  of  the  house, 
except  a  little  while  in  the  evening  to  rest  his  brain. 

The  very  little  money  that  they  had  left  he  spent  with 
exceeding  care  so  that  it  might  hold  out  until  the  time  of 
the  competition,  which  was  to  be  held  after  the  summer, 
toward  October  or  November. 

Maximina  in  this  respect  was  a  model.  Not  only  did 
she  spend  nothing  on  her  person,  for  she  had  clothes 
enough,  but  also  in  the  household  expenses  she  performed 
prodigies  of  skill  to  reduce  them  to  the  smallest  terms. 
Miguel  was  grieved,  and  almost  shed  tears  secretly  when 
he  saw  her  making  soap  herself  because  it  would  be  a 
few  centimos  cheaper  than  at  the  shop,  and  many  times 
taking  charge  of  the  kitchen  while  Juana  was  gone  to  a 
distant  store  where  potatoes  were  a  real  cheaper,  and 
ironing  the  nicer  linen  herself,  etc. 

But  she  seemed  happj' ;  perhaps  happier  than- when 
they  were  in  the  midst  of  opulence.  The  luxuriance  of 
their  apartment  on  the  Plaza  de  Santa  Ana  had  a  cer- 
tain depressing  influence  upon  her.  As  she  never  dusted 
or  arranged  the  furniture  herself,  they  seemed  to  her 


356  MAXIMINA. 

hardly  to  be  hers.  Now  everything  was  the  opposite ; 
she  had  put  them  in  their  places  after  serious  perplexi- 
ties ;  she  dusted  them  every  day,  she  swept  and  brushed 
the  carpet,  she  polished  with  stag-horn  powder  all  the 
metal  arrangements,  she  kept  the  window  in  her  husband's 
room  carefully  washed  ;  in  fact,  she  took  entire  charge  of 
all  the  details  of  the  household. 

It  was  for  Miguel  a  pleasure  not  free  from  melancholy 
to  see  her  mornings,  with  a  silk  handkerchief  wrapped 
around  her  head  in  the  Biscai'an  manner  and  in  a  woollen 
apron,  gracefully  waving  the  feather  duster  and  lightly 
humming  some  sentimental  zdrcico  of  her  country. 

But  Maximina  understood  to  the  last  detail  the  economy 
that  referred  to  herself.  This  from  time  to  time  caused 
Miguel  deep  pain.  Without  his  knowing  it  she  had 
given  up  her  chocolate  in  the  afternoon.  When  he  dis- 
covered it  he  became  furious. 

"Who  would  ever  have  thought  of  it!  The  idea  of 
cutting  down  your  food  when  3-011  are  nursing  a  baby ! 
It  is  senseless  and  almost  a  sin  !  I  forbid  you  to  do  such 
a  thing !  do  you  hear  me  ?  Rather  than  let  you  deny 
yourself  what  you  needed  to  eat,  I  would  go  and  break 
stones  in  the  street,  or  beg  !  You  know  that  I  would !  " 

"  Don't  scold  me,  Miguel,  for  Heaven's  sake  !  It  was 
because  I  did  not  care  for  chocolate  these  days." 

"  Then  you  ought  to  have  taken  something  else." 

"  I  did  not  want  anything." 

"  Come,  come,  Maximiua,  quit  such  foolishness.  .  .  . 
And  don't  let  it  happen  again." 

Though  the  little  wife  tried  to  keep  her  feet  hidden  in 
his  presence,  he  found  another  time  that  her  shoes  were 
worn  through. 

"  What  does  this  mean?"  he  demanded.  k'  Why  don't 
you  buy  another  pair  of  shoes?  " 


MAXIMINA.  357 

"  I  will  some  time." 

"  You  must  buy  them  this  very  day.  Yours  are  badly 
worn." 

"All  right.  I  will  send  for  them  to-day."  And  she 
managed  to  attract  his  attention  to  something  else. 

After  five  or  six  days  had  passed,  he  found  that  she 
was  wearing  the  same  ones. 

"  What  a  girl  you  are  !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  vexation. 

"Don't  scold  me,  Miguel!  don't  scold  me!  "  the  little 
wife  hastened  to  say,  throwing  her  arms  around  him,  and 
smiling  in  mortification.  A  harsh  word  from  Miguel  was 
for  her  the  severest  of  misfortunes. 

"  How  can  I  help  scolding  you  if  you  do  not  obe)' 
me?" 

"  Forgive  me  !  " 

"  I  am  going  to  take  your  measure,  and  this  very  day 
bring  you  a  pair  of  shoes." 

"Oh  no!"  she  said  hurriedly.  "Don't  trouble  your- 
self; I  will  send  right  out  for  some." 

The  reason  for  this  was  that  she  was  afraid  that  her 
husband  might  buy  more  expensive  ones  than  she  wanted. 

Miguel,  on  his  side,  likewise  practised  some  personal 
economies,  though  he  did  not  go  to  such  lengths.  But 
Maximina  could  not  endure  this.  When  she  saw  him  put 
on  a  hongo  and  a  silk  handkerchief  around  his  neck,  so  as 
to  save  his  silk  hat  and  the  good  clothes  that  he  had,  she 
grew  vexed. 

"  How  you  do  look  ;  I  don't  like  you  so,  Miguel !  "  . 

"It's  because  I  don't  care  to  dress  up.  I  am  only 
going  on  an  errand,  and  shall  be  right  back." 

If  at  the  end  of  any  given  time  she  found  the  same 
money  in  his  vest,  she  would  say  sadly  :  — 

"  You  don't  spend  anything,  Miguel.  Don't  you  lunch 
at  the  cafe"  ?  Why  don't  you  go  to  the  theatre  ?  " 


358  MAX1MINA. 

"  Because  I  am  very  busy  now.  I  will  go  as  soon  as 
the  examinations  are  over.  Besides,  we  must  be  a  little 
economical  for  the  present." 

"  How  bad  it  makes  me  feel  not  to  have  you  spend  as 
you  used  to  do  !  "  she  exclaimed,  giving  him  a  hug.  "  You 
are  making  this  sacrifice  for  my  sake  !  If  you  were  alone, 
you  would  live  much  better." 

"Come,  come,  don't  be  absurd,  Maximina.  Without 
you  I  should  live  neither  well  nor  ill.  ...  I  should  die," 
he  replied,  laughing. 

Although  excited  by  the  prospect  of  the  examinations, 
and  working  for  them  perhaps  harder  than  he  ought,  our 
hero  was  not  unhappy.  When  there  is  peace  and  love  by 
the  fireside,  family  life  is  the  best  sedative  for  mental 
sufferings.  This  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  the  con- 
fidence which  he  had  in  his  forces  made  living,  up  to  a 
certain  point,  delightful. 

There  came  a  day,  however,  in  which  happiness  and 
relative  calmness  disappeared  at  the  announcement  that 
the  examinations  for  which  he  was  working  were  indefi- 
nitely postponed,  possibly  till  the  next  year. 

All  his  plans  fell  to  the  ground.  As  he  had  not  for 
some  time  thought  of  any  other  way  of  escape  from  his 
difficulties,  he  felt  annihilated.  He  had  strength  enough, 
nevertheless,  to  hide  it  from  his  wife,  and  to  appear  at 
home  serene  and  happy  as  usual.  Redoubled  by  the 
surprise,  the  energies  of  his  soul  were  awakened  to  new 
vigor. 

"It  is  necessary,  at  all  events,  to  seek  for  work,"  he 
said  to  himself.  He  had  money  enough  to  last  only  for 
a  month.  Still  he  allowed  his  wife  to  spend  as  before, 
certain  that  she  could  not  economize  more  than  she  did 
at  the  time  without  undergoing  serious  privations.  The 
first  thought  that  occurred  to  him  was  to  seek  for  employ- 


MAXIMINA.  359 

ment  with  some  private  firm.  He  called  on  a  number  of 
friends,  and  all  cheered  him  with  good  words. 

Nevertheless  a  month  passed,  and  no  employment  ap- 
peared. He  found  himself  obliged  to  pawn  his  watch  in 
order  to  pay  his  landlord  and  store  account ;  he  told  his 
wife  that  he  had  left  it  to  be  regulated. 

A  second  month  passed,  and  still  nothing  turned  up. 
One  day  Maximina,  dead  with  mortification,  said  to  him, 
as  though  she  were  confessing  some  crime :  — 

"Miguel,  the  shopkeeper  down  street  has  sent  me  his 
bill,  and  as  I  have  not  a  cuarto,  I  can't  pay  it." 

The  brigadier's  son  trembled ;  but  hiding  it  as  well  as 
he  could,  he  replied,  with  affected  indifference  :  — 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  see  that  it  is  paid  when  I  go  out. 
How  much  is  it  ?  " 

"  Two  hundred  and  twenty-four  reals." 

"Do  you  need  any  more  money?" 

Maximina  dropped  her  e}'es  and  blushed. 

"  I  owe  Juana  her  wages." 

"  I  will  bring  it  this  afternoon." 

He  said  these  words  without  knowing  what  he  said. 
Where  was  he  to  get  it  ?  His  Uncle  Bernardo  had  been 
sent  some  months  before  to  a  private  mad -house  in 
Paris.  Dona  Martina  and  her  family  had  also  gone  there 
to  look  after  him.  Enrique  was  not  in  the  condition  to 
lend  it  to  him.  His  step-mother  was  out  of  town,  and  she 
had  barely  enough  to  live  decently  ;  moreover,  it  caused 
him  an  invincible  repugnance  to  ask  back  what  he  had 
once  given.  No  one  of  the  family  was  left  of  whom  he 
could  ask  it,  except  his  Uncle  Manolo. 

To  him  he  went. 

Uncle  Manolo,  a  grave  man  and  of  excellent  charity, 
although  he  knew  about  his  nephew's  ruin,  had  not  realized 
that  it  was  so  complete.'  He  stood  with  his  mouth  open 


360  MAXIMINA. 

at  hearing  his  request.  He  took  out  of  his  drawer  the 
forty  duros  which  he  had  requested  and  handed  them  to 
him.  Miguel,  through  certain  words  that  escaped  him, 
perceived  that  he  was  undergoing  a  greater  sacrifice  than 
any  one  could  have  imagined.  He  suspected,  or  rather  he 
felt,  almost  certain,  that  his  uncle  was  subjected  to  a 
shameful  servitude.  La  intendenta  apparently  had  no 
thought  of  abandoning  the  care  of  her  property,  and  she 
allowed  him  each  mouth  a  certain  sum  of  money  for  his 
private  wants,  which  were,  as  always,  large  and  perfectly 
indispensable. 

Accordingly,  Miguel  went  away  greatly  disturbed  at  the 
interview,  and  convinced  that  to  borrow  money  of  Uncle 
Manolo  in  such  circumstances  was  equivalent  to  giving 
him  a  ven-  great  annoyance. 

After  this  episode,  convinced  that  he  had  no  right  to 
expect  aid  from  his  relatives,  he  put  forth  double  zeal  in 
his  search  for  work  of  any  kind.  But  all  his  attempts  met 
with  the  bad  luck  which  pitilessly  followed  him.  In  some 
places  there  was  no  vacancy ;  in  others,  finding  that  he 
was  a  senorito,  and  had  never  been  in  any  counting-house, 
they  distrusted  him. 

At  the  editorial  offices  he  was  most  kindly  received ; 
but,  as  at  that  time,  and  even  now,  the  pecuniary  affairs 
of  the  press  were  rather  upset,  willing  as  the  directors 
would  have  been,  they  did  not  find  it  easy  to  give  him  a 
position.  The  most  that  any  of  them  promised  was  to 
give  him  a  place  as  soon  as  there  was  a  vacancy.  But 
what  he  needed  now,  at  this  very  moment,  was  some 
money  to  buy  food,  and  the  days  were  passing,  and  it  did 
not  come.  Without  Maximina  knowing  about  it,  he 
pawned  a  set  of  gold  studs  and  a  ring  which  had  be- 
longed to  his  father. 

Finally  the  owner  of  an  afternoon  paper  gave  his  abso- 


MAXIMINA.  361 

lute  promise  that  he  should  have  forty  duros  a  month,  as 
soon  as  a  month  was  past:  during  the  actual  month,  on 
account  of  certain  difficxilties  in  the  business  office,  he 
could  not  pay  it  down.  Our  hero  worked  a  whole  month 
for  nothing.  At  the  beginning  of  the  next,  as  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  pay  certain  sums,  Miguel 
asked  him  to  let  him  have  some  money. 

Then  the  owner  and  manager,  adopting  that  air  half 
complaining  and  half  diplomatic,  which  all  assume  who 
are  about  to  refuse  a  just  but  unwelcome  claim,  painted 
in  the  darkest  colors  the  business  situation  of  the  daily, 
the  difficulty  of  collecting  certain  sums  that  were  due  him, 
the  necessity  which  all  editors  have  of  "  putting  their 
shoulders  to  the  wheel  in  order  to  sustain  a  young  enter- 
prise," etc.,  etc. 

"  Friend  Huerta,"  replied  Miguel,  very  much  dissatisfied, 
"  hunger  has  made  me  altogether  too  weak  to  be  able 
to  put  my  shoulder  to  any  new  enterprise  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, /need  to  be  propped  up  myself  so  as  not  to  fall." 

It  was  impossible  to  get  a  penny  from  him.  Our  hero 
took  his  leave,  full  of  indignation,  the  more  because  he 
happened  to  know  that  all  the  money  taken  in  went 
straight  into  the  director's  private  box,  and  that  he  used 
it  to  lead  the  life  of  a  prince. 

Now  began  for  the  young  pair  a  gloomy  and  trying 
time.  Miguel  was  unable  any  longer  to  hide  his  neces- 
sities. One  by  one  the  few  objects  of  value  which  they 
had  in  the  house  went  to  the  pawn-shop,  where  they 
brought  scarcely  the  fifth  part  of  their  value.  Oftentimes 
the  young  man  despaired  and  cursed  his  lot,  and  even 
spoke  of  going  and  firing  a  shot  at  the  Count  de  Rios  and 
another  at  Mendoza. 

Maximina,  in  these  painful  crises,  consoled  him,  cheered 
him  with  new  hope,  and  when  this  resource  failed,  she 


362  MAXIMINA. 

succeeded  in  softening  him  with  her  tears  and  driving 
away  from  him  all  his  evil  thoughts.  Always  serene  and 
cheerful,  she  made  heroic  attempts  to  divert  him,  calling 
to  her  aid  the  little  one,  when  worst  came  to  worst ;  she 
carefully  concealed  the  toil  which  in  his  absence  she 
undertook  so  as  not  to  let  him  see  that  there  was  any- 
thing at  fault  when  he  came. 

Poverty;  nevertheless,  was  pressing  closer  and  closer 
around  them  each  day.  At  last  the  day  came  that  actually 
they  had  not  a  peseta  in  the  house  and  knew  not  where 
to  get  another.  At  the  grocery  store  they  were  not  will- 
ing to  let  them  have  goods  on  credit. 

Miguel,  without  his  wife's  knowledge,  took  one  of  his 
coats,  wrapped  it  up  in  paper  and  carried  it  to  a  pawn- 
shop :  they  would  give  only  two  duros  for  it.  On  his 
return,  as  he  was  meditating  how  to  escape  from  this 
miserable  situation,  and  seeing  no  way  of  finding  work, 
he  suddenly  adopted  a  violent  resolution :  namely,  that 
of  undertaking  manual  labor.  With  his  face  darkened 
by  an  expression  of  pain  he  said  to  himself  as  he  walked 
along :  — 

"  Rather  than  my  wife  starve  to  death  I  am  ready  to 
do  anything.  .  .  .  Anything !  even  to  commit  robbery. 
I  am  going  to  try  the  last  resort." 

Near  his  house  was  a  printing-office  where  on  days  of 
depression,  when  he  had  just  received  some  rebuff,  he 
often  spent  long  hours  watching  the  compositors  at  their 
work  or  trying  himself  to  spell  out  some  easy  task.  The 
proprietor  was  an  excellent  man,  and  very  cordial  rela- 
tions had  sprung  up  between  them.  He  went  in  there  and 
calling  him  aside,  he  said :  — 

"  Don  Manuel,  I  find  myself  without  means  of  getting 
food  ;  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts  during  these  last  months 
I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  a  situation.  Would  you 


MAXIMINA.  363 

be  willing  to  take  me  as  an  apprentice  in  your  office,  giv- 
ing me  a  little  something  on  account  of  future  work?  " 

The  printer  looked  at  him  with  an  expression  of  sad- 
ness. 

"  Are  you  so  bad  off  as  all  that,  Don  Miguel?" 

"  In  the  last  depths  of  poverty." 

The  owner  of  the  printing-office  considered  a  few 
moments,  and  said  :  — 

"  Before  you  could  learn  how  to  set  type  with  any 
degree  of  rapidity,  a  long  time  would  pass.  Besides,  it  is 
not  right  that  a  caballero  should  soil  his  hands  with  ink. 
The  only  thing  that  you  can  do  here  is  to  help  the  proof- 
reader. Do  you  object?" 

"  I  am  ready  to  do  whatever  you  order." 

He  spent  that  day,  in  fact,  reading  proofs.  At  night  the 
proprietor  told  him  that  he  would  give  him  three  pesetas 
a  day  salary  until  he  dismissed  the  present  proof-reader, 
who  was  a  great  drunkard.  As  he  started  to  leave,  he 
thrust  into  his  hand  a  ten-duro  bill  as  advance  pay. 

"  Thanks,  Don  Manuel,"  he  said,  deeply  touched.  "  In 
you,  who  are  a  workingman,  I  have  found  more  generosity 
than  in  all  the  caballeros  whom  I  have  been  to  see  up  to 
the  present  time." 

For  several  days  he  worked  as  well  as  he  could,  con- 
scientiously fulfilling  his  task.  It  was  hard  and  monoto- 
nous to  the  last  degree  ;  it  kept  him  busy  from  early  in 
the  morning  till  night.  Moreover,  the  very  insignificant 
pay  scarcely  sufficed  to  buy  potatoes  ;  and  although  the 
proprietor  was  anxious  to  send  away  the  proof-reader  and 
give  him  the  place,  Miguel  opposed  it  because  he  also 
was  the  father  of  a  family,  and  had  no  other  means  of 
livelihood. 


364  MAXIMIXA. 


XXIX. 

WHILE  they  were  in  this  destitute  and  most  melancholy 
situation,  it  came  to  pass  one  afternoon  just  as  he  had 
come  in  from  the  printing-office  that  the  bell  rang. 
Juana  announced  that  a  very  old  caballero  wanted  to 
speak  with  him.  He  sent  word  for  him  to  come  in,  and 
instantly  there  appeared  in  his  study  the  old  apothecary 
Hojeda. 

"  Don  Facundo  !  "  he  cried,  with  genuine  joy. 

"It  is  I,  Miguelito ;  it  is  I.  I  am  perfectly  furious! 
Can't  you  see  it  by  my  face  ?  I  must  give  you  a  regular 
scolding.  Who  would  have  thought  that  you,  degenerate 
scion,  should  be  tramping  through  this  blessed  world  of 
ours,  hunting  for  a  situation,  and  never  have  remembered 
an  old  friend  like  me  !  I  know  very  well  that  I  am  a 
poor  old  man  who  is  not  good  for  anything." 

"  That  is  not  so,  Don  Facundo  ;  that  is  not  so.  ...  It 
is  because  our  professions  are  so  unlike.  .  .  .  Besides,  I 
was  afraid  that  mamma  would  find  out.  ..." 

He  could  not  give  an  excuse.  The  truth  was  that  he 
had  forgotten  the  saintly  old  man. 

"  No  use,  my  dear  fellow,  no  use ;  you  were  ungrate- 
ful. .  .  .  You  forget  those  who  love  you,  and  go  and  ask 
favors  of  men  who  did  not  even  know  your  father." 

"  You  are  right.  ..." 

"Well,  then,  I  have  scolded  you  sufficiently.  Let  us 
come  to  what  interests  us  more  closely  at  present.  I  have 
come  to  offer  you  a  place  in  the  bank  of  Andalucia.  For 
more  than  a  month  I  have  been  begging  it  for  you.  At 
last,  this  very  day,  they  put  it  at  my  disposition.  Salary, 
sixty  duros  a  month.  Will  you  take  it  ?  " 


MAXIMINA.  365 

Miguel's  only  answer  was  to  squeeze  his  hand  violently. 
After  a  moment  he  exclaimed,  with  his  eyes  full  of  tears  :  — 

"  If  you  only  knew,  Don  Facundo,  how  opportunely 
this  comes ! " 

"  Haven't  you  any  money?" 

"  Not  a  peseta!  " 

"  Haven't  you  found  anything  to  do?  " 

"Yes;  that  of  assistant  proof-reader  in  the  printing- 
office  just  below  here." 

"  How  much  salary  ?  " 

"  Three  pesetas  a  day." 

"  Jesus  !  Jesus  !  "  exclaimed  the  apothecary,  raising  his 
hands  to  his  head  and  remaining  in  a  thoughtful  attitude. 

He  had  the  delicacy  not  to  ask  him  a  question  about 
his  ruin.  Nevertheless,  Miguel  of  his  own  accord  told 
him  all,  even  to  the  smallest  particulars.  When  Don 
Facundo  had  heard  the  whole  story,  he  said :  — 

"  See  here,  Miguel,  I  am  going  to  ask  a  favor  of  you." 

"You  shall!" 

"I  want  you  to  accept  these  six  thousand  reals1;" 
and  he  laid  the  bills  on  the  table.  "I  am  an  old  bachelor  : 
the  money  that  I  have  is  amply  sufficient." 

"  Don  Facundo,  I  cannot.  ..." 

"  I  demand  it  hi  the  name  of  the  friendship  that  bound 
me  to  your  father." 

There  was  no  way  of  declining  it. 

"  Besides,  you  must  give  me  your  word  that  if  the  sixty 
duros  a  month  are  not  sufficient  for  your  living  expenses, 
and  you  find  yourself  in  a  tight  place,  you  will  come  to 
me  first  of  all.  ...  I  will  not  leave  the  house  unless  you 
promise  me." 

The  brigadier's  son  gave  the  promise.  Then  he  called 
in  Maximina,  and  the  three  talked  a  long  time  about  vari- 

1  $300.00. 


366  MAXIMINA. 

ous  matters.  Don  Facundo  seemed  to  lose  his  wits  over 
the  baby.  When  it  came  the  time  for  him  to  take  his 
departure,  Miguel  seized  him  by  the  hand,  and  said  with 
emotion  :  — 

"  Don  Facundo,  I  give  up  trying  to  tell  you  what  is 
passing  through  my  heart  at  this  moment.  I  will  simply 
repeat  what  I  said  once  before  :  You  are  a  great  personage." 

"  Miguelito,  if  you  persist  in  saying  these  foolish  things, 
I  will  never  come  to  your  house  again." 

"  Then  what  name  do  you  want  us  to  give  those  who 
come  only  when  there  is  some  misfortune  to  alleviate  ?  " 

With  this  opportune  visit,  thanks  to  God,  the  anxiety 
of  our  young  friends  ended.  The  sixty  duros,  carefully 
husbanded,  were  sufficient  for  them  to  live  comfortablj*. 
Nevertheless,  Miguel  did  not  care  to  relinquish  the  idea 
of  the  place  in  the  Council  of  State,  and  when  the  exam- 
inations were  given,  he  secured  one  with  a  salary  of  six- 
teen thousand  reals ;  thereupon  he  resigned  his  place  in 
the  bank,  which  gave  him  too  much  work.  With  this 
salary  and  three  or  four  thousand  reals  more  that  he 
earned  by  writing  articles  from  time  to  time  for  the  papers 
and  reviews,  he  felt  himself  perfectly  happy. 

And  he  was  in  reality  rmppy.  Poverty  had  more  than 
ever  strengthened  the  cords  of  love.  The  cruel  rebuffs 
that  society  had  made  him  feel  caused  him  to  realize  that 
his  home  was  the  only  place  where  true  happiness  was  to 
be  found,  —  a  corner  of  heaven  where  Maximina  played 
the  rdle  of  angel. 

His  love  to  her  did  not  increase,  for  that  was  impossi- 
ble ;  but  his  admiration  did.  This  young  wife's  lofty 
spirit  had  never  showed  itself  so  admirable,  so  worthy  of 
being  adored,  as  during  the  critical  and  painful  days 
through  which  they  had  just  been  passing.  So  great  had 
come  to  be  the  love  and  admiration  felt  by  our  hero,  that 


MAXIM  IN  A.  367 

when  he  found  in  his  study  any  object  that  Maxiinina  had 
left  there,  he  would  kiss  it  tenderly  and  respectfully,  as 
though  it  had  been  a  sacred  relic. 

During  the  hours  that  he  was  free  from  his  duties,  he 
studied  passionately.  He  rarely  went  from  the  house. 
When  he  did  so,  it  was  generally  to  read  in  the  "  Ateneo" 
the  books  which  he  was  unable  to  buy. 

"You  read  here  a  great  deal,  friend  Rivera,"  some 
friend  would  say,  laying  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"It  is  because  I  haven't  any  money,"  he  would  reply, 
with  a  laugh. 

When  he  returned  home  at  half-past  ten  or  eleven  in 
the  evening,  his  wife  would  be  just  about  going  to  bed. 
That  was  the  happiest  time  for  Maxiinina.  Since  the 
birth  of  the  baby  they  occupied  separate  apartments  ;  she 
slept  in  a  room  with  two  beds,  with  Juana ;  he  alone,  in 
another  chamber.  Miguel  enjoyed  carrying  to  her  room 
a  little  lunch,  either  brought  in  from  outside  or  something 
already  in  the  house  ;  for  as  Maximina  was  still  nursing 
the  baby,  who  was  now  fifteen  months  old,  she  felt  very 
weary  at  this  time  of  the  day.  How  great  the  poor  girl's 
pleasure  was  to  see  her  husband  coming  in  punctually 
with  a  slice  of  ham  or  some  dainty  bit  of  sweetmeat !  If 
he  went  to  the  extravagance  of  bringing  her  something 
expensive,  she  would  say  :  — 

"  That  must  last  three  days." 

And  in  spite  of  all  his  protests,  she  would  insist  upon 
it  being  divided  into  three  parts. 

Miguel  watched  her  eating  with  a  peculiar  feeling  of 
rapture  ;  he  would  offer  her  a  glass  of  wine,  cut  the  bread 
for  her,  and  carry  away  all  the  dishes.  And  then  in  a 
whisper,  so  as  not  to  wake  the  baby,  who  was  sleeping 
in  his  crib,  they  would  talk  sometimes  for  an  hour  and 
more. 


368  MAXIM  IN  A. 

Meanwhile  Juana,  still  dressed,  would  be  sound  asleep 
in  a  room  near  the  kitchen.  Miguel,  as  he  went  to  his 
chamber,  would  waken  her  (not  a  very  easy  task)  ;  and 
she,  staggering  with  sleep,  would  go  to  her  mistress's  room 
for  the  rest  of  the  night. 

The  young  man,  aged  fifteen  months,  gave  them,  with- 
out being  conscious  of  it,  more  enjoyment  than  all  the 
tenors  of  the  opera  and  the  zarzuela  combined.  He  was 
constantly  travelling,  if  we  can  allow  that  term  to  be  ap- 
plied to  his  going  like  a  drunken  man  "  making  s's,  from 
the  arms  of  his  father  to  those  of  his  mother.  The 
tyranny  which  he  exercised  in  that  house  was  something- 
scandalous.  Above  all,  toward  Maximina  he  behaved  in 
a  manner  exceedingly  boorish,  without  there  being  the 
least  reason  for  him  to  be  offended  with  her.  For  though 
it  was  very  clear  that  she  was  the  one  who  from  her  own 
vitality  furnished  him  nutriment,  not  only  did  he  not  show 
her  the  lofty  consideration  which  she  deserved,  but  he  evi- 
dently had  a  preference  for  Juana,  and  this  was  caused  by 
nothing  else  than  the  fact  that  the  Guipuzcoana  maid  made 
him  laugh  more  with  her  caresses  and  dandling  of  him. 

Poor  Maximina  could  not  bring  herself  to  believe  in 
this  cruel  preference.  One  day  after  breakfast,  as  the 
three  were  playing  with  the  baby  in  the  corridor,  Juana 
wanted  to  give  proof  of  it. 

"  Come,  now,  go  to  your  mamma,"  she  said  to  the 
little  one. 

But  he  clung  with  all  his  might  to  her. 

"  It  is  evident  that  he  loves  you  only  when  he  is  hun- 
gry," said  Miguel,  making  fun  of  her. 

Maximina  became  grieved  and  even  vexed,  and  tried  to 
take  the  child  from  Juana,  but  he  objected  and  squealed. 

"  Come  now,  see  if  he  won't  come  to  me,"  suggested 
Miguel. 


MAXIMINA.  369 

"Why  not?"  As  soon  as  his  papa  spread  open  his 
arms,  the  capricious  infant  sprang  into  them. 

"  Do  you  see?"  he  exclaimed,  leaping  up  in  triumph. 

Then  Maximina,  full  of  sorrow  and  mortification,  the 
more  because  her  husband  and  Juana  laughed  so  heartily 
at  her  defeat,  was  going  to  pull  him  away  by  main  force. 
Miguel  started  to  run.  Maximiiia,  growing  more  and 
more  nervous  and  incensed,  trying  not  to  cry,  ran  after 
him.  At  last,  unable  to  overtake  him,  she  went  into  the 
study.  There  Miguel  shortly  after  found  her  standing 
up,  leaning  against  the  mantel-piece,  her  eyes  hidden  with 
one  hand,  and  evidently  crying.  He  went  up  to  her  on 
tiptoe,  laid  the  baby  on  the  rug,  and  said  to  him  :  — 

"  There  now,  go  and  ask  forgiveness  of  your  mamma, 
and  tell  her  what  you  have  just  whispered  in  my  ear : 
that  you  love  her  better  than  any  one  else  in  the  world." 

At  the  same  time  he  put  the  child's  mouth  to  his  wife's 
hand,  as  it  hung  by  her  side. 

When  she  felt  her  son's  fresh,  moist  lips  touching  her, 
the  little  woman  turned  her  head  to  look  at  him  :  through 
the  tears  gleamed  in  her  eyes  a  smile  of  love  and  for- 
giveness, which  it  was  a  shame  that  that  ungrateful  little 
miscreant  could  not  have  appreciated. 

One  night,  after  dinner,  Miguel  felt  lazy,  as  was  often 
the  case,  and  did  not  care  to  go  out.  They  went  to  the 
study,  and  Maximina  began  to  read  the  paper.  After- 
ward, when  she  had  taken  her  seat  on  her  husband's  knee, 
they  began  to  talk,  as  usual,  telling  each  other  about  the 
little  events  of  the  day. 

"Do  you  know?"  she  said,  "this  afternoon  I  had  a 
caller ! " 

"Who  was  it?" 

"A  villain!"  said  the  little  wife,  smiling  mischiev- 
ously. 


370  MAXIMINA. 

Miguel  could  not  refrain  from  a  slight  frown.  He  was 
very  jealous,  as  all  men  must  be  who  really  love,  though 
he  tried  carefully  to  hide  it.. 

"  Who  was  the  villain?  " 

The  somewhat  harsh  tone  of  this  question  did  not 
escape  Maximina. 

"  The  cur6  of  Chamber!." 

"The  little  old  man  who  said  mass  on  the  ninth?" 

"The  very  same.  .  .  .  Why  didn't  you  like  it  that  the 
villain  was  here?  eh,  you  rogue  !  "  she  added,  giving  him  a 
tender  hug. 

"And  what  brought  the  cure?"  asked  Miguel,  in  his 
turn  parrying  his  wife's  question. 

"  To  put  us  down  in  his  book.  ...  I  could  not  help 
laughing  a  little.  ...  1  opened  the  door  for  him,  and  he 
said  to  me  :  '  Hold,  child !  go  and  tell  your  mamma  the 
rector  of  Chamber!  is  here.'  —  'I  haven't  any  mamma,' 
said  I.  — '  Then  tell  the  lady  of  the  house.'  —  '  I  am  she,' 
I  told  him,  half  dead  with  mortification.  He  began  to 
cross  himself,  saying,  ' Ave  Maria!  Ave  Maria!  what 
a  little,  young  thing  ! '  He  was  still  more  surprised  to 
know  that  we  had  been  married  two  years  and  three 
months." 

"That's  natural  enough,  —  with  that  smooth,  round, 
baby  cheek  of  yours,  3Tou  would  deceive  any  one." 

"  It  is  absurd  ;  I  am  not  a  child  any  longer  :  I  shall  be 
eighteen  next  month." 

Before  going  to  bed,  they  put  out  the  lights  and  opened 
the  balcony  window  to  enjoy  for  a  little  while  the  spec- 
tacle of  the  starry  sky. 

It  was  a  clear,  mild  night  toward  the  last  of  April. 
As  they  were  on  the  third  floor,  and  the  section  of  the  city 
where  they  lived  was  less  built  up,  they  could  see  more 
than  half  of  the  heavenly  vault.  As  they  stood  together, 


MAXIMINA.  371 

Maximina  leaning  her  arm  on  her  husband's  shoulder, 
they  silently  contemplated  for  a  long  time  that  sight 
which  will  forever  be  the  most  sublime  of  all. 

"  How  large  and  beautiful  that  star  is,  Miguel.  What 
a  pure,  bright  light  it  gives  !  "  said  Maximina,  pointing  to 
the  sky. 

"That  is  Sirius.  In  the  books  of  antiquity  it  is  said 
that  it  used  to  shine  with  a  red  light.  However,  it  is  not 
any  greater  or  more  beautiful  than  the  others,  except  that 
it  is  not  so  far  away :  it  is  one  of  three  nearest  to  us." 

' '  Though  Sister  San  Onofre  kept  telling  us  that  the  earth 
was  a  star  like  those,  only  still  smaller,  I  can  never  seem 
to  believe  it." 

"  And  so  small,  Maximina  !  Each  one  of  the  stars  that 
you  see  is  thousands  and  millions  of  times  bigger  than  our 
earth.  Our  solar  system,  of  which  we  are  the  poorest  and 
most  insignificant  part,  belongs  to  that  great  nebula  that 
crosses  the  sky  like  a  white  baud.  Each  particle  of 
that  dust  is  a  sun  around  which  revolve  other  worlds, 
which,  like  ours,  have  no  light  of  their  own.  In  order 
that  you  may  get  some  idea  of  its  size,  let  me  tell  you  it  is 
isolated  in  the  heavens  like  an  island  and  is  shaped  like  a 
lens ;  well,  then,  for  a  ra}*  of  light  to  travel  from  one 
extreme  of  the  longer  axis  of  this  lens  to  the  other  it  takes 
seventeen  thousand  years,  and  yet  light  travels  at  the  rate 
of  seventy  thousand  leagues  a  second  !  " 

"  Madre  mia!  how  tremendous  !  " 

"But  that  is  a  mere  nothing.  Our  nebula  is  only  one 
of  many  others  that  people  space.  There  are  others  vastly 
larger.  With  the  telescope  they  are  constantly  discover- 
ing new  ones.  When  a  telescope  of  greater  power  is 
invented,  then  the  nebulae  are  separated  into  stars ;  but 
beyond  these  are  other  nebulae  still,  which  had  never  been 
seen  before.  If  a  telescope  of  still  greater  power  were 


372  MAXIMINA. 

made,  those  nebulae,  also,  in  their  turn,  would  be  reduced 
to  stars  ;  but  then,  beyond  that,  there  would  be  still  other 
nebulae,  and  so  on  forever." 

"  And  so  there  is  no  end  to  the  sky?" 

"  That  is  the  supposition." 

Maxiniina  remained  for  a  few  minutes  rapt  in  thought. 

"And  are  there  inhabitants  in  those  other  worlds, 
Miguel  ? " 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be.  Such 
observations  as  we  can  make  in  our  own  solar  system 
make  it  probable  that  the  other  stars  have  conditions  of 
life  very  like  our  own.  .  .  .  Do  3*011  see  that  big  beauti- 
ful star  which  looks  like  Sirius?  That  is  Jupiter,  one  of 
our  brother  worlds  ;  but  an  older  brother  —  fourteen  hun- 
dred tunes  as  big  as  we  are.  He  is  a  privileged  brother, 
the  first-born,  so  to  speak,  of  the  system.  There  the  da3T 
lasts  five  hours,  and  the  night  five ;  but  as  he  has  four 
moons  which  are  constantly  shining,  and  long  twilights,  it 
may  be  said  that  nights  do  not  exist  there.  The  same 
may  almost  be  said  of  the  seasons.  Eternal  spring  reigns 
over  its  whole  surface.  For  us  that  is  the  symbol  or  the 
ideal  of  a  happy  existence.  Why  should  there  not  be 
inhabitants  in  that  fortunate  world  ?  " 

The  young  wife  was  again  silent  and  thoughtful,  and  at 
last  she  asked  :  — 

"How  do  those  worlds  hang  in  space,  and  travel  for- 
ever, and  never  run  into  each  other?" 

"They  are  sustained,  and  they  live  through  love.  .  .  . 
Yes,  through  love,"  he  repeated,  seeing  the  curiosity  in 
his  wife's  eyes.  "  Love  is  the  law  that  rules  the  whole 
creation :  the  sublime  law  that  unites  thy  heart  to  mine  is 
the  same  that  unites  all  the  beings  of  the  universe,  and 
yet  keeps  them  distinct.  We  are  one  iii  God,  in  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  but  we  still  enjoy  the  beautiful 


MAXIMINA.  373 

privilege  of  individuality.  This  great  privilege,  however, 
is  at  the  same  time  our  great  imperfection,  Maximina. 
Through  it  we  are  separated  from  God.  To  live  eternally 
united  to  Him,  to  sleep  iu  His  bosom  as  the  child  in  its 
mother's  lap,  is  the  constant  aspiration  of  humanity.  The 
man  who  most  keenly  and  imperiously  feels  this  necessity 
is  the  best  and  most  righteous.  What  is  the  meaning  of 
self-abnegation  and  sacrifice?  Can  it  be  anything  else 
than  the  expression  of  that  secret  voice  which  has  its  seat 
in  our  hearts,  and  tells  us  that  to  love  one's  self  is  to  love 
the  finite,  the  imperfect,  the  ephemeral,  and  to  love  others 
is  to  be  united  by  anticipation  with  the  Eternal.  Alas 
for  the  man  who  does  not  listen  to  the  call  of  this  voice ! 
Alas  for  him  who  shuts  his  ears  to  the  breathings  of  his 
soul,  and  runs  in  hot  haste  after  transitory  things  !  Such 
a  man  will  always  be  a  miserable  slave  of  time  and  neces- 
sity4  .  .  ." 

Miguel  grew  eloquent  as  he  went  on  speaking.  Maxi- 
miua  listened  to  him  with  ecstatic  eyes.  She  did  not  ab- 
solutely comprehend  his  words,  but  she  saw  clearly  that 
all  that  proceeded  from  her  husband's  lips  was  noble  and 
lofty  and  religious,  and  that  was  sufficient  for  her  to  be  in 
accord  with  him. 

He  still  went  on  speaking.  At  last  he  suddenly 
stopped.  Both  stood  in  silence,  gazing  into  the  immensity 
of  the  heavens.  A  solemn  and  pure  emotion  had  come 
over  them.  In  rapt  contemplation  they  listened  to  the 
mysterious  harmonies  of  their  souls,  which,  without  the 
aid  of  speech,  by  a  kind  of  magnetic  power,  vibrated  from 
one  heart  to  the  other.  After  a  while  Maximina  said  in 
a  whisper :  — 

"  Miguel,  would  you  not  like  to  repeat  a  Pater  Noster  ?  " 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  tenderly  pressing  her  hand. 

The  young  wife  said  the  Pater  Noster  with  true  fervor. 
Her  husband  repeated  it  with  equal  earnestness. 


374  MAXIMINA. 

Never  in  his  life,  either  before  or  after,  did  our  hero 
feel  himself  nearer  God  than  at  that  moment. 

The  night  was  advancing.  The  clock  in  the  study 
struck  its  twelve  silvery  notes.  They  shut  the  window, 
and  lighted  the  lamps  to  retire. 

***** 

XXX. 

IN  the  morning  Maximina,  after  taking  chocolate,  felt 
a  trifle  indisposed.  They  attributed  it  to  a  little  indi- 
gestion, and  took  no  account  of  it.  All  that  day  she 
dragged  about,  feeling  wretchedly,  but  still  keeping  up. 
When  Miguel  came  from  his  office,  she  had  thrown  her- 
self on  the  bed  ;  on  hearing  the  bell  she  quickly  got  up, 
and  came  out  as  usual  to  receive  him.  Nevertheless,  she 
soon  felt  obliged  to  lie  down  again ;  she  kept  getting  up 
to  attend  to  this  thing  and  that,  but  returned  to  a  lying 
posture  again,  now  on  Miguel's  bed,  now  on  her  own. 

"  I  am  going  to  call  a  doctor,"  said  he.  Maximiua  was 
strongly  opposed.  The  only  compromise  that  he  could 
make  was  that  she  would  allow  him  to  call  one  on  the 
next  day  if  she  were  not  better.  She  absolutely  ex- 
pected to  wake  up  the  next  day  sound  and  well. 

But  it  was  not  so. 

She  awoke  with  a  quick  pulse,  and  Miguel  would  not 
hear  to  her  sitting  up.  He  called  in  an  old  and  experi- 
enced doctor  that  there  was  in  the  ward,  and  he,  after 
taking  her  pulse  and  looking  at  her  tongue,  declared  that 
she  had  some  fever,  but  that  apparently  there  was  no 
disorder  of  the  stomach.  Miguel,  on  hearing  this,  wished 
to  stay  away  from  the  office,  but  his  wife  was  so  opposed 
to  it  that  finally  he  gave  in  to  her,  pi'omising  to  come 
home  early. 


MAXIMINA.  375 

In  the  afternoon  her  temperature  had  risen  slightly ; 
still  she  was  calm :  only  from  time  to  time,  as  though  she 
felt  some  oppression,  she  would  draw  long,  deep  sighs. 

The  next  morning  the  doctor  found  her  decidedly  fever- 
ish, but  he  could  not  as  yet  decide  what  was  the  cause, 
for  the  frequent  and  deep  inspirations  which  he  obliged 
her  to  take  were  perfect,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  lung 
difficulty,  and  the  stomach  also  was  in  sound  condition. 
He  inclined  to  think  that  it  was  rheumatic  fever,  for,  a 
few  days  before,  she  remembered  that  she  had  complained 
of  pains  in  her  shoulder ;  more  than  that  he  could  not 
assure  them. 

Miguel  went  to  his  office,  but  he  returned  at  two  o'clock  ; 
the  doctor  left  his  clinical  thermometer,  so  that  her  tem- 
perature might  be  taken  from  time  to  time  and  recorded 
on  a  piece  of  paper. 

On  the  next  day  the  temperature  was  still  higher.  The 
doctor  now  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  fever  was 
nervous,  because  rheumatic  symptoms  were  not  well  de- 
fined. He  prescribed  the  valerianate  of  quinine  and  a 
potion.  Miguel  went  to  the  office  to  report  to  his  chief— 
nothing  more.  He  stopped,  however,  to  speak  with  his 
comrades ;  among  them  was  one  who  had  studied  medi- 
cine, although  without  great  success. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  your  seiiora?"  they  asked 
him. 

"  I  do  not  know.  The  doctor  is  doubtful  whether  it  is 
a  rheumatic  or  a  nervous  fever." 

"  Man  alive !  I  don't  see  what  one  fever  has  to  do  with 
the  other,"  said  the  medical  employe,  with  self-sufficiency. 
"  At  all  events  pray  God,  Rivera,  that  it  may  not  be  ner- 
vous fever." 

Miguel,  on  hearing  these  words,  felt  chilled  through. 
A  strange  trembling  passed  over  his  frame.  He  made  an 


376  MAXIMINA. 

effort  to  control  himself,  and  said  in  a  voice  that  was 
already  changed :  — 

"  The  doctor  told  me  to  take  her  temperature  often." 

"  And  how  does  her  temperature  stand?  " 

Although  he  did  not  know  what  exact  connection  the 
degrees  had  with  the  fever,  yet,  terrified  by  the  words 
that  had  passed,  he  did  not  dare  to  say  that  she  had  forty- 
one  and  a  few  decimals,  and  replied  :  — 

"  Forty  centigrade." 

"  That  cannot  be  ;  that  would  be  a  very  high  fever.  .  .  . 
Come,  friend  Rivera,  it  must  be  confessed  that  you  know 
more  about  philosophy  than  about  taking  temperatures." 

"  Yes,  Rivera  ;  you  must  be  mistaken,"  said  another. 

He  stood  rooted  to  the  floor  ;  he  grew  terribly  pale,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  fainting  away. 

His  companions,  noticing  his  pallor,  began  to  encourage 
him. 

"Man!  don't  be  frightened.  .  .  .  You  must  have 
made  some  mistake.  Besides,  even  if  you  hadn't,  it 
would  not  be  necessarily  fatal." 

A  companion,  to  give  him  still  more  encouragement, 
whispered  :  "  Don't  mind  that  pestilent  fellow  !  What  does 
he  know  about  fevers  ?  He  never  in  his  life  opened  a 
book !  " 

Nevertheless,  he  felt  a  stab  in  his  very  heart.  He  left 
the  Consejos  with  his  face  changed,  and  took  a  carriage, 
for  he  feared  that  he  might  faint.  He  rushed  into  his 
wife's  room. 

"  How  do  you  feel?  " 

"  Well,"  she  replied,  with  a  sweet  smile. 

"  Let  me  take  your  temperature,"  said  he,  hastening  to 
put  the  thermometer  under  her  arm.  His  heart  beat  furi- 
ously. Not  being  able  to  stay  still  while  the  thermom- 
eter remained  there,  he  began  to  walk  up  and  down 


MAXIMINA.  377 

through  the  room.  At  last  with  trembling  hand  he  took 
it  out,  and  ran  to  the  shutter,  which  was  closed ;  he  opened 
it  a  little  way  and  looked.  The  temperature  had  risen  a 
few  decimals  :  it  was  almost  forty- two  degrees. 

He  could  not  speak  a  word. 

"What  makes  you  so  excited  about  that*  blessed  little 
tube?"  said  Maximina.  "  What  is  the  good  of  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know  ;  the  doctor  sent  it  to  me.  ...  I  am 
going  to  set  down  the  temperature." 

Instead  of  going  to  his  study,  however,  he  went  to  his 
chamber,  threw  himself  face  down  upon  his  bed,  sobbing. 

"  They  have  killed  me  !  They  have  killed  me  !  "  he  mur- 
mured, while  his  tears  bathed  the  pillows. 

For  nearly  half  an  hour  he  thus  lay  without  ceasing  to 
repeat  amid  sobs  the  words:  "They  have  killed  me! 
They  have  killed  me  ! " 

In  fact,  a  stab  through  the  heart  would  not  have  had 
more  effect  upon  him  than  the  frightful  idea  that  had  been 
suggested  to  him  at  the  office. 

At  last  he  arose,  bathed  his  eyes  in  cold  water,  and 
agaiu  repairing  to  his  wife's  room  told  her  that  he  was 
going  to  notify  Don  Facundo ;  for  he  would  not  forgive 
him  for  not  doing  so. 

As  he  was  going  out,  the  neighbor  who  lived  in  the 
opposite  apartment  called  at  the  door,  to  offer  her  services 
"  for  everything,  absolutely  for  everything." 

She  was  an  excellent  lady,  a  colonel's  widow,  whose  son 
was  a  lieutenant  and  gave  her  much  sorrow.  Although 
she  had  only  spoken  a  few  words  with  Maximina  on  the 
stairway,  it  seemed  that  she  was  much  drawn  toward 
her.  Miguel  was  very  grateful  to  her,  and  took  her  into 
the  bedroom,  and  then  immediately  set  out  on  his  errand. 

He  felt  that  he  must  confide  in  some  one,  and  therefore 
he  went  in  search  of  Don  Facundo.  As  soon  as  he  saw 


378  MAXIMINA. 

him,  he  began  to  weep  like  a  child.  The  poor  senor  en- 
deavored to  console  him  as  well  as  he  was  able. 

"You  are  very  impressionable,  Miguelito.  Who  would 
ever  have  thought  of  getting  into  such  a  state  when  the 
doctor  has  not  said  as  yet  that  there  was  an}"  danger ! 
But,  at  all  events,  as  you  are  so  much  alarmed,  it  would  be 
a  good  idea  to  have  a  consultation  of  doctors,  even  if  it 
were  for  nothing  else  than  to  calm  you." 

"  Yes,  yes,  Don  Facundo ;  I  want  to  have  a  consulta- 
tion !  "  exclaimed  the  anxious  young  man,  as  though  sal- 
vation entirely  depended  on  it. 

"Very  well,  I  will  notify  the  doctors;  you  speak 
with  the  regular  attendant,  so  that  he  will  not  be  of- 
fended." 

Miguel  left  the  apothecary  shop,  much  calmer.  When 
he  reached  home,  Maximina  was  a  little  delirious. 

"  She  imagines,"  said  the  colonel's  widow,  "  that  there 
is  a  door  open  behind  the  head  of  the  bed,  and  much  cold 
comes  in." 

"  How  do  you  feel?"  asked  Miguel,  laying  his  hand  on 
her  forehead. 

"  Well ;  but  a  great  deal  of  cold  air  comes  in  from  that 
open  door." 

"  You  are  right ;  I  will  go  and  shut  it." 

He  pretended  to  do  so,  and  for  a  time  she  was  pacified. 
The  young  man  afterward  wanted  to  kiss  her ;  but  she 
would  not  allow  him,  saying  in  great  agitation,  though  in 
a  low  voice : ; — 

"How  can  you  be  so  shameless?  Don't  you  see  that 
this  seiiora  is  here  ?  " 

Not  even  though  she  was  delirious  did  the  sentiment  of 
bashfulness  desert  this  young  creature. 

During  the  afternoon  she  was  very  restless,  sometimes 
out  of  her  head. 


MAXIMINA.  379 

After  her  whim  about  the  door  she  imagined  that  a 
number  of  men  had  come  to  get  her.  When  Miguel  ap- 
proached the  bed,  she  would  say,  in  terror :  — 

"  See  !  see  that  man  who  has  come  to  take  me  away  ! " 

"Never  mind,  preciosa;  as  long  as  1  am  here,  no  one 
will  take  you  away  !  " 

Her  husband's  voice  and  caresses  brought  her  back 
to  reason  as  by  magic,  and  soothed  her  for  a  few  mo- 
ments. 

The  widow  insisted  on  staying  to  watch  that  night,  for 
it  was  two  nights  since  either  Juana  or  Miguel  had  gotten 
any  sleep.  The  latter  went  and  threw  himself  down  on 
his  bed,  charging  that  if  there  were  the  least  change,  he 
should  be  called. 

And  in  fact  the  widow  woke  him  up  about  midnight, 
saying  that  Maximina  refused  to  take  her  potion  and  was 
very  restless. 

He  immediately  arose  and  ran  to  her  room.  His  wife, 
after  the  struggle  that  she  had  undergone  with  the  worthy 
seiiora,  was  in  a  very  agitated  state,  her  face  extremel}7 
flushed  and  her  eyes  wildly  rolling.  She  did  not  know 
her  husband.  He,  seeing  her  in  that  state,  lost  all  his 
courage  and  began  to  weep.  Then  Maximina  looked 
straight  at  him ;  her  eyes  soon  lost  that  terrible  look  of 
delirium,  and  she  sat  up  in  bed,  and  leaning  over  toward 
the  young  man  asked  him  :  — 

"  Why  are  you  weeping,  light  of  my  life?  why  are  you 
weeping  ?  " 

"  Because  you  have  refused  to  take  your  medicine,  and 
if  you  don't,  you  won't  get  well." 

"  I  will  take  it,  I  will  take  it;  don't  cry,  for  Heaven's 
sake  !  Give  it  to  me  !  " 

And  she  eagerly  drank  the  spoonful  that  he  put  to 
her  lips. 


380  MAXIMINA. 

"You  will  not  weep  any  more,  will  you?"  she  asked 
him,  anxiously,  and  on  hearing  him  say  "  no,"  she  kissed 
his  hand  again  and  again. 

In  the  morning  the  consultation  of  physicians  was  held. 
One  at  a  time  they  went  in  to  see  the  sick  woman. 

"  How  tired  I  am  of  showing  wry  tongue ! "  she  ex- 
claimed, with  a  comic  gesture  which  made  him  laugh  in 
spite  of  his  tribulations. 

The  doctors  could  not  come  to  a  definite  decision  as  to 
the  seat  of  the  .fever  ;  they  all  were  inclined,  however,  to 
the  opinion  that  it  was  in  the  nervous  centre.  They  were 
perfectly  agreed  that  at  all  hazards  the  temperature  must 
be  in  some  way  reduced.  For  this  they  prescribed  an 
antipyretic  remedy. 

Miguel  himself  went  in  search  of  it.  Its  effect  was 
very  quick.  "Within  a  few  hours  after  taking  it  the  fever 
had  subsided  two  degrees  ;  in  the  morning  the  thermom- 
eter indicated  only  thirty-nine  and  a  few  decimals  ;  her 
restlessness  and  delirium  had  entirely  disappeared.  She 
felt  so  much  better  that  Miguel  had  no  doubt  that  in  four 
or  five  days  she  would  be  up  and  about. 

He  was  so  excited  by  his  excess  of  joy,  that,  being  un- 
able to  stay  in  the  house,  he  went  out  to  enjoy  the  cool- 
ness of  the  morning,  although  he  had  been  watching  the 
night  before.  He  took  a  turn  through  the  Retiro ;  the 
weather  was  cool  and  beautiful ;  the  joy  that  filled  his 
soul  to  overflowing  made  him  see  in  the  bright  sun,  in  the 
songs  of  the  birds,  in  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  mysterious 
beauties  which  he  had  never  before  realized.  It  was  as 
much  as  he  could  do  not  to  throw  his  arms  around  the 
solitary  pedestrians  whom  he  met. 

But  alas  !  he  did  not  know  that  the  remedy  that  the 
doctors  had  prescribed  fulfilled  its  work  merely  in  cooling 
the  blood,  and  had  not  the  power  of  overcoming  the  mal- 


MAXIMINA.  381 

ady.  Toward  the  end  of  the  afternoon  her  temperature 
began  to  rise  again.  So  deceived  was  he  that  he  attrib- 
uted it  to  the  natural  increase  that  all  diseases  tend  to 
show  at  that  time  of  day,  and  did  not  regard  it  with 
apprehension. 

The  doctor  likewise  said  nothing  that  was  calculated 
to  alarm  him.  At  eleven  o'clock  he  went  to  bed,  leaving 
Juana  to  watch. 

Her  voice  aroused  him  from  the  deep  sleep  in  which  he 
was  plunged. 

"  Senorito  !  senorito  !  the  senorita  is  worse." 

The  voice  with  which  a  man  condemned  to  death  is 
wakened  never  sounded  more  terrible  than  this  summons 
did  to  Miguel.  He  was  on  his  feet  in  a  flash  ;  he  ran  to 
her  room.  Maximina  had  her  eyes  shut.  When  he 
came  in,  she  opened  them,  tried  to  smile,  and  closed 
them  again  —  never  to  open  them  more  ! 

It  was  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Juana  ran  to  sum- 
mon the  doctor,  first  stopping  at  the  opposite  apartment. 
The  colonel's  widow  insisted  that  it  was  only  a  fainting 
fit;  she  and  Miguel  put  on  a  mustard  poultice.  The 
priest  was  sent  for.  In  a  few  moments  he  arrived,  at  the 
same  time  with  the  doctor. 

What  was  the  use  ? 

Miguel  walked  ceaselessly  up  and  down  the  corridor, 
pale  as  a  ghost.  Soon  he  paused  and  wanted  to  enter  his 
wife's  room.  The  widow,  the  cure",  and  the  doctor,  tried 
to  keep  him  back. 

"  No  ;  don't  go  in,  Rivera ! " 

"  I  know  all ;  let  me  pass  !  " 

By  his  face  and  manner  they  knew  that  it  was  useless 
to  oppose  him. 

He  threw  himself  on  his  wife's  form,  from  which  as  yet 
not  all  the  warmth  and  life  had  departed,  and  kissed  her 
wildly  for  several  minutes. 


382  MAXIMINA. 

"Enough!  enough!  j-ou  are  only  killing  yourself," 
they  said  to  him. 

Finally  they  drew  him  away. 

"Better  than  thou,"  he  cried,  as  he  gave  her  one  last 
kiss,  "  there  never  has  been ;  there  never  will  be  on  earth." 

"  Happy  are  they,  my  son,  who,  on  dying,  can  hear 
such  words,"  murmured  the  aged  priest. 

They  led  him  away.  He  went  straight  to  his  study, 
and  leaned  against  the  window.  The  day  had  not  as  yet 
completely  dawned.  The  suddenness  of  the  shock  had 
checked  his  tears.  Motionless,  with  gleaming  eyes,  and 
leaning  his  brow  against  the  pane,  he  stood  a  long  time 
listening  to  that  voice  of  revelation  in  his  soul  which 
alone  has  a  right  to  speak  at  this  supreme  hour.  At  last 
he  could  hear  himself  murmur  in  a  hoarse  voice :  — 

"  Who  knows?  who  knows?" 


XXXI. 

WHAT  more  do  you  wish  to  know  ? 

Miguel  staggered  like  an  athlete  who  receives  a  blow  in 
the  midst  of  his  forehead ;  but  he  did  not  succumb.  In 
the  unavoidable  obligation  upon  him  of  protecting  his 
baby  boy,  who  had  lost  his  mother  just  as  he  was  begin- 
ning to  stammer  her  name,  he  found  strength  to  live. 

His  story,  far  from  romantic,  becomes  even  less  inter- 
esting from  this  tune  forward.  It  is  reduced  almost 
entirely  to  meditations,  doubts,  hopes,  discouragements,  — 
storms  such  as  only  rage  in  the  secret  depths  of  the  spirit. 
The  story  of  it  can  be  interesting  only  to  the  psychologist. 
Therefore  we  will  condense  this  long  and  wearisome  nar- 
ration. 

He  devoted  his  whole  life  to  his  son.     Work  and  study, 


MAXIMINA.  383 

if  they  did  not  assuage  his  grief,  sometimes  made  him 
forget  it,  lifting  him  at  the  same  time  to  a  loftier  plane  ; 
as  years  went  on,  he  maintained  a  deep  and  serious  sad- 
ness which  left  him  calm  enough  for  thought.  Day  nor 
night  did  he  leave  his  son.  As  often  as  he  could,  he 
took  him  with  him  to  his  office  ;  he  used  to  set  him  down 
opposite  him,  so  that  when  he  looked  up,  his  eyes  might 
fall  upon  that  little  face,  in  which  he  sought  anxiously  to 
discover  lines  and  features  of  another  that  was  graven 
as  with  a  chisel  on  his  very  heart.  If  his  friends  wanted 
to  make  him  happy  for  a  moment,  they  had  only  to  assure 
him  that  the  little  one  would  in  time  come  to  look  exactly 
like  his  mother.  On  the  other  hand,  if  an}-  one  told  him 
that  he  was  going  to  resemble  him,  he  would  stand  sad 
and  thoughtful  for  a  long  time. 

Sometimes,  catching  from  his  lips  or  in  his  eyes  some 
expression  peculiar  to  Maximina,  he  would  burst  out  sob- 
bing. 

The  little  innocent  creature  would  then  look  at  him  in 
surprise  and  dismay,  until  his  father  would  gather  him  up 
into  his  arms,  and  kissing  him  again  and  again,  would 
say:  — 

"  Blessed  child,  you  know  not  what  you  have  lost !  " 

Likewise,  many  days  he  would  take  him  to  the  ceme- 
tery and  make  him  kiss  after  him  the  stone  under  which 
his  mother  was  lying.  Oh  !  if  those  kisses  did  not  make 
their  way  through  the  marble,  and  cause  the  dust  of  the 
little  maiden  of  Pasajes  to  tremble,  you  may  be  certain 
that  nothing  in  this  world  could  ever  stir  it. 

Nor  was  it  only  in  his  boy  that  he  saw  his  wife's  living 
image.  Any  great  spectacle,  any  heroic  action,  any  touch 
of  kindness,  any  work  of  art,  above  all,  music,  brought 
her  suddenly  to  his  imagination,  and  made  the  tears 
spring  to  his  eyes ;  as  though  that  dear  woman,  even  if 


384  MAXIMINA. 

she  no  longer  existed,  were  still  united  to  all  that  is  noble, 
beautiful,  and  lofty  in  this  earth.  Consequently,  he  tried 
to  stimulate  these  emotions  as  frequently  as  he  could. 
He  cultivated  and  kindled  the  religious  sentiment,  which 
had  often  seemed  fainting,  though  never  had  it  died  out 
in  his  soul ;  he  loved  the  arts  ;  he  clung  to  the  friendship 
of  the  good. 

As  time  went  on,  that  same  Mendoza,  with  whom  he 
had  not  exchanged  a  word  since  he  had  been  ruined  and 
gone  to  live  at  Chamber!,  became  minister. 

This  will  certainly  surprise  no  one.  Certain  premises 
being  granted,  the  results  are  sure  to  follow.  As  soon  as 
he  became  minister,  he  sent  Miguel  a  message,  whether 
through  generosity  or  egotism,  we  cannot  say,  asking  him 
to  be  his  private  secretary,  and  at  the  same  time  retain 
his  place  in  the  Council  of  State. 

The  weak  flesh  felt  like  revolting  at  such  a  proposition. 
However,  he  was  able  finally  to  bring  it  into  subjection. 
Long  since,  by  force  of  praj-er  and  meditation,  he  had 
emancipated  himself  from  the  dominion  of  pride.  By 
means  of  terrible  struggles,  his  soul  had  succeeded  in 
breaking  the  chains  that  bound  him  to  earthly  objects. 
He  had  learned  and  would  never  forget  the  sublime  truth 
which  will  eternally  rise  above  human  science,  and  will 
be  the  compendium  of  all  truths,  —  SELF-NEGATION. 

As  soon  as  he  set  foot  on  this  sacred  ground  of  liberty, 
his  life  began  to  glide  away  in  perfect  serenity,  in  sweet 
and  tranquil  repose.  In  the  sea  of  human  passions,  in 
the  whirlwind  of  his  own  emotions,  he  had  at  last  the 
good  fortune  to  find  himself,  and  understand  what  he  was. 
His  only  thought  thenceforward  was  to  advance  further 
and  further  along  the  road  of  liberty,  until  the  hour  of 
supreme  emancipation  should  come  for  him.  The  only 


MAXIMINA.  385 

and  most  ardent  desire  of  his  life  was  to  be  able  to  love 
death.  Consequently,  he  employed  the  healthy  and 
divine  power  of  his  imagination  in  creating  another  world, 
new  and  free,  where  he  lived  with  his  wife  in  the  same 
sweet  communion  as  of  yore,  sharing  with  her  his  love 
and  his  sorrows.  When  he  completed  any  action  of  his 
life,  he  never  failed  to  ask  himself  :  — 

"  "Would  Maximina  approve  of  it?  " 

Every  day  he  confessed  to  her  and  told  her  the  inmost 
secrets  of  his  soul.  And  when  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
fall  into  sin,  profound  grief  would  take  possession  of  him, 
and  he  would  think  how,  on  that  day,  he  had  departed  a 
little  from  his  wife.  In  this  way,  sharing  like  a  divine 
being  in  the  august  privilege  of  God,  he  succeeded  in 
attaining  a  new  life,  or  rather  a  foretaste  of  eternal  life. 

But,  as  a  human  being,  his  soul  was  many  times  shaken 
by  the  storm  of  doubt.  He  suffered  the  cruel  assaults  of 
temptation,  and,  like  the  Son  of  God  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  endured  hours  of  agony  which  left  deep  scars 
upon  his  soul  and  diminished,  if  they  did  not  entirely 
destroy,  his  strength.  Let  us  witness  one  of  them. 

After  he  came  out  of  the  Ministerio,  or  from  Congress, 
Mendoza  was  in  the  habit  of  riding  in  an  open  carriage 
through  the  Retire.  Miguel  accompanied  him.  After 
whirling  for  a  while  among  the  throng  of  carriages  the 
minister  would  begin  to  feel  drowsy  and  would  drop  off  to 
sleep,  lulled  by  the  gentle  motion  of  the  carriage.  Mig- 
uel, almost  always  neglectful  of  the  curious  and  gay  sights 
of  the  promenade,  would  meditate,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  sky  or  on  the  landscape. 

It  was  a  mild  afternoon,  the  mildest  and  most  brilliant 
that  spring  had  as  yet  bestowed  that  year  on  the  citizens 
of  Madrid. 


386  MAXIMINA. 

The  sun  was  setting.  Through  the  open  window  our 
young  secretary  saw  it  descending  between  the  trees  over 
the  wide  plains  of  Vallecas,  descending  majestically  till  it 
reached  the  edge  of  a  cloud,  and  casting  a  golden  trail 
over  the  earth. 

Carried  away  by  the  train  of  thought  which  often  took 
possession  of  him,  he  began  to  speculate  upon  the  time 
during  which  this  orb  had  thus  been  hurtling  through  space. 
Toward  what  mysterious  region  of  heaven,  was  it  taking 
the  earth  in  its  tremendous  march?  From  whence  had 
that  immense  mass  originally  sprung?  When  and  how 
would  its  light  become  extinguished  ? 

He  thought  how  its  history,  long  as  it  seems,  is  only  an 
instant  in  the  history  of  Creation.  In  the  numberless 
worlds  which  are  forever  forming  and  perishing,  what  an 
insignificnnt  r61e  is  played  by  this  poor  sun,  which  is  the 
prime  actor  for  us  !  Why,  then,  does  it  seem  to  us  so  great 
and  so  beautiful?  Who  saw,  before  we  were  created, 
that  "  wake  of  gold,"  as  it  is  called  by  the  poets?  How 
many  thousand  years  had  it  been  sweeping  across  the 
earth  without  gilding  other  heads  than  those  of  gigantic 
saurians,  pterodactyls,  megalosauruses,  and  other  fearful 
monsters  ? 

The  veil  that  hides  the  infinite  mysteries  of  space  — 
will  it  some  day  be  removed  ?  will  there  be  creatures  who 
will  ever  understand  them? 

He  spent  much  tune  buried  in  such  thoughts,  in  ecstatic 
contemplation  of  the  horizons,  brought  up  before  him  by 
the  frequent  and  long  turns  that  they  took  in  the  carriage. 
When  he  came  down  from  these  heights,  and  cast  his 
eyes  on  the  equipages  which  were  gathered  in  that  delec- 
table place,  he  was  given  the  same  impression  as  though 
he  were  looking  upon  an  anthill ;  and  what  else  was  it,  ex- 


MAXIMINA.  387 

cept  that  the  ants,  instead  of  working,  were  riding  ?  63-  his 
side  there  were  crowded  together  a  multitude  of  atomic 
animals,  with  their  faces  fixed  on  the  ground,  carried  along 
by  other  animals  whom  they  had  made  their  slaves.  But 
ants  also  own  slaves.  All  the  masters,  and  the  horses 
also,  appeared  to  believe  that  they  themselves,  and  nothing 
else,  constituted  the  world ;  and  their  schemes,  their  de- 
sires, their  loves,  their  restaurants,  and  their  daily  allow- 
ance of  oats,  the  only  and  highest  ends  of  creation. 

But  there  among  the  pedestrians  he  saw  a  pale  face 
adorned  with  a  long  white  beard,  with  melancholy,  dreamy 
eyes  likewise  fastened  on  the  skies.  As  he  passed,  this 
face  smiled  affectionately.  Miguel  replied,  saying,  "  Good 
afternoon,  Don  Ventura." 

It  was  the  tenderest  and  most  spontaneous  of  Spanish 
poets,  the  famous  Ruiz  Aguilera.  Then  his  eyes  fell 
upon  Meudoza,  who  was  dozing  deliciously.  He  looked 
at  him  attentively  for  a  few  moments,  and  suddenly  felt 
inclined  to  laugh. 

"Poor  man  !  he  thinks  that  he  is  on  the  pinnacle  of  glory 
because  he  has  the  disposal  for  a  few  months  of  a  few 
dozen  offices,  and  to  this  he  has  consecrated  his  whole 
life,  all  the  powers  that  God  has  given  him.  To-morrow 
this  man  will  die,  and  he  will  not  have  known  the  love  of 
a  tender  and  innocent  wife,  nor  the  enthusiasm  awakened 
in  the  soul  by  a  heroic  action,  nor  the  deep  emotion 
caused  by  the  study  of  nature,  nor  the  pure  delight  in 
contemplating  a  work  of  art ;  he  will  never  have  thought, 
never  felt,  never  loved  !  Nevertheless,  he  thinks  in  good 
faith  that  it  is  his  right  to  swell  with  pride  because  a  bell 
rings  at  the  Ministerio  when  he  comes  in,  and  a  few  un- 
happy wretches  take  off  their  hats  before  him  !  How  much 
energy  and  fawning  meanness  this  ant  has  had  to  •exer- 


388  MAXIMINA. 

cise  in  order  that  other  ants  may  greet  him  respect- 
fully ! " 

He  could  not  help  laughing  out  loud.  Mendoza  opened 
his  eyes  on  hearing  him,  but  being  accustomed  to  these 
original  sallies  of  his  secretary,  he  instantly  closed  them 
again,  and  once  more  slumbered. 

Miguel,  however,  went  on  with  his  thinking. 

"  Religion,  art,  love,  heroism,  these  signs  in  which  I 
think  that  I  can  see  the  expression  of  a  more  elevated 
nature  —  may  they  not  also  be  illusions,  like  those  which 
this  poor  devil  has,  of  his  own  importance?  Ma}T  not 
the  far-off  country  to  which  I  aspire  be  a  false  reflection 
of  my  own  desires  ?  " 

The  idea  of  annihilation  came  into  his  mind,  and  made 
him  tremble. 

"If  all  vanishes  at  the  end  like  smoke,  like  a  shadow, 
if  the  purest  emotions  of  my  soul,  if  my  wife's  love,  if 
my  boy's  innocent  smile,  have  the  same  worth  in  nature  as 
the  hate  of  the  miscreant  and  the  coarse  laughter  of  the 
vicious  ;  if  two  beings  unite  and  love  only  to  be  separated 
for  an  eternity,  oh !  how  gladly  would  I  hate  you,  infa- 
mous universe  !  If  beyond  those  spaces,  beautiful  as  they 
are,  there  is  no  one  capable  of  compassion,  what  is  the 
worth  of  your  mighty  masses,  or  your  rythmic  movements, 
or  your  tremendous  rivers  of  light?  I.  miserable  atom, 
am  more  noble,  because  I  can  love  and  can  feel  compas- 
sion. .  .  ." 

He  remained  a  few  moments  lost  in  suspense,  with  his 
eyes  fixed  on  vacancy.  A  strange  depression,  such  as  he 
had  rarely  felt,  was  gradually  taking  possession  of  his 
spirit.  In  thought  he  took  a  rapid  survey  of  his  past  life, 
and  it  appeared  to  him  like  a  chain  of  misfortunes ;  even 
the  pleasures  of  his  youth  seemed  to  him  detestable  and 


MAXIMINA.  389 

beneath  contempt.  In  it  there  was  only  one  delicious  and 
sweet  oasis,  — the  two  years  of  his  marriage. 

"  If  all  men,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  were  to  look  back, 
they  would  find  it  the  same  ;  perhaps  even  worse,  because 
the  majority  have  not  been  blessed  as  I  have,  by  Heaven, 
for  a  few  short  moments." 

His  memory  brought  up  a  few  friends  who  had  died 
in  the  flower  of  life  after  cruel  sufferings ;  others,  who, 
weary  of  struggling  against  fate,  had  fallen  at  last  into 
the  depths  of  misery  ;  he  saw  the  noblest  and  most  intel- 
ligent of  them  filling  humble  stations,  and  elevating  the 
low  and  degraded  ones  ;  he  remembered  his  good  father, 
whose  last  years  were  embittered  by  a  proud  and  wilful 
wife ;  he  remembered  his  sister,  a  creature  all  light  and 
joy,  vilely  deceived  and  forever  disgraced  ;  he  remembered 
finally  that  angelic  half  of  his  own  being  snatched  from 
the  world  when  she  had  just  touched  her  lips  to  the  cup  of 
happiness.  .  .  . 

Creation  suddenly  presented  itself  before  him  in  a 
terrible  aspect ;  beings  pitilessly  devouring  each  other ; 
the  stronger  constantly  pushing  the  weaker  to  the  wall  — 
all  deceived  by  the  illusion  of  happiness  which  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  any,  working,  suffering  for  the  advantage  of 
other  species,  and  these  for  still  others,  and  so  on  to  in- 
finity !  The  world,  in  fine,  appeared  to  him  like  an 
immense  fraud,  a  place  of  torment  for  all  living  beings, 
more  cruel  still  for  those  gifted  with  consciousness ;  abso- 
lute happiness  for  the  All-existent  because  It  is  and  ever 
will  be  :  absolute  misery  for  individuals,  because  they  will 
eternally  be  created  anew  to  srtffer  and  to  die. 

Before  that  terrible  picture  which  he  saw  in  the  in- 
tensest  light,  his  soul  was  tormented,  and  a  shudder  of 
horror  shook  his  frame. 


390  MAXIMINA. 

"  My  God  !  my  God  !  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ? "  his 
trembling  lips  repeated  again  and  again,  and  a  wrenching 
sob  which  had  been  gathering  for  some  time  in  the  depths 
of  his  breast  suddenly  burst  forth. 

The  minister  opened  his  eyes,  in  affright. 

"Man  alive!"  said  he,  "you  spend  your  life  either 
laughing  or  crying." 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  the  secretary,  raising  his  hand- 
kerchief to  his  eyes. 


END    OF   THE    NOVEL. 


THE   MARQUIS  OF   PENALTA. 

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THE  ROLLO  BOOKS. —By  JACOB  ABBOTT,  "the  Prince  of  Writers  for  the  Young." 
A  new  and  cheaper  edition.  .  14  vols.,  bound  in  7.  Cloth,  i6mo,  $8.75. 

These  famous  stories,  which  delighted  and  instructed  the  last  two  generations,  seem 
destined  to  be  no  less  popular  with  the  young  people  of  the  present.  Their  natural 
healthiness  will  always  be  appreciated  by  all  children. 


iKHSSBS 

^faSi-Jr^J: 


BOOKS 

703   1-2   w.    STH    ST. 
tl      I-  LOS   ANGELES 


